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We have taken a decision to highlight Thompson’s charge of corruption which he made last night at Haggatt Hall. We are prepared to highlight any coherent response to these charges by the government.
This is why the debates were cancelled. This had to be hidden.
Nation News to print wickam poll tommorow Jan 11, 2008 that shows 9% swing in favor of the DLP 🙂
Lets just hope they do a good job of it and not get tricky by saying some crap like “But owen still leads in leadership”
Come on you yeller bellied lapdog nation news press…for once get a backbone and give us the real deal….and that is the DLP come Tuesday is gonna kick ass!!
fellow barbadians there will be a debate this sunday for 2 hours with the Pm and DavidThompson live for you to hear not even the spin doctor CLYDE GRIFFITH can stop this keep tune to the barbados under ground in a few hours you will get the details
Let us add to this desperation the latest attack on our good sense, where today he calls the press, dressed in his suit and his acting somber toned voice, to reveal that their is election violence taking place in St.Peter and he is calling on people to act soberly, then as he completes his act the Police go to the airwaves and defeats his argument by stating that these same people have had an ongoing dispute and it was recorded by the Police that they have been at each other for some while now.
I am thankful that this is brief campaign otherwise his flow of untruths and lies would sicken us to the core.
This man is sick and needs urgent help send him to Jerome Walcott and to the QEH and let us hope that he does not expire while awaiting medical attention, as so many lesser morals have done while holding on at the death centre of the QEH.
We have been extremely concerned about the allegations of internet pornography involvement by Donville Inniss the candidate representing the Democratic Labour Party and it has forced us to do some digging.
The source of contention is a Canadian website called NakedNews.com where the presenters of the news read the news topless.
Here is what we found out:
· This website is owned and operated by Egalaxy Multimedia Inc that is also located in Canada- The company that Mr Inniss represents is Egalaxy Inc that has been registered in Barbados since 1993 and is a seperate and distinct entity with different shareholders and has never received revenue from this operation
· The Barbados Government led by Mia Motley as Attorney General investigated this allegation in 2001 and found no wrongdoings- The license to operate has been renewed every year since under the respective Ministers of International Business Reginald Farley, Lynette Eastmond and Dale Marshall
We then understood a bit more about the business activities of Donville Inniss and his company Global Overseas that:
· has been in existence for 9 years
· represents 77 corporations that include international banks, insurance and trust companies that operate in Africa, Europe, USA, Cuba and Latin America
· provides management and advisory services to these companies
· contributes in excess of US$1million annually to the Barbados Treasury in corporation taxes, direct taxes and licence fees
We are therefore convinced that Mr Inniss is above board, has integrity and is worthy of representing us.
We particularly admire his approach thus far in making himself available to the constituents to the extent that he has open the doors of his home and welcomed us in regardless of class, colour or creed, canvassed our opinions on matters relevant to our well-being and the development of our community. This is certainly a departure from the norm of the last 14 years where we have only seen our representative via the television and newspapers since even at election time we are visited by persons asking for our votes on her behalf.
On the morality issue, we note that when Mia Motley was advocating to legalise homosexuality and prostitution we never hear our current representative Liz Thompsom say NO. Are we to therefore assume that she supports this policy and if given another term will automatically put this into law?
Any Prime Minister and Government that long ago did promise to the people of Barbados to make the Barbados a Republic, but deliberately did NOT do so, when instead they should have long done also, must certainly be VOTED OUT of office in this Election on the 15th January, 2008.
Any Prime Minister and Government that long ago did promise to the people of Barbados that a referendum was to be held to determine whether Barbados would have remained a constitutional monarchy or go to being a republic, but deliberately made sure that this referendum did NOT come about, when instead they should have long ago held the referendum, must certainly be VOTED OUT of office in this Election on the 15th January, 2008.
Any Prime Minister and Government that long ago did promise to the people of Barbados that the statue of Lord Nelson would be removed from where it is to another location, but deliberately did NOT do so, when instead they should have long done so, must certainly be VOTED OUT of office in this Election on the 15th of January, 2008.
It is high time that Mr. Owen Arthur and the BLP are SENT PACKING for making those and other deliberately failed promises, which were apparently made with the intention to confuse many thousands of Barbadians as to the reality or falsity behind them. As far as we are concerned in the PDC Mr. Owen Arthur and the BLP were NEVER serious out fulfilling these promises. Certainly, within the walls of government has NO place for jokers. Mr. Owen Arthur and some within the top echelons of the BLP organisation are entire jokers.
VOTE PDC Candidates in St. Michael North and St. Michael North West, Mr Mark Adamson and Mr. Akil Umi, respectively, for greater costituency representation and greater community empowerment.
See you at the polls!!
PDC
PEP offering free bus rides and medicine
Published on: 1/10/08.
The People’s Empowerment Party
(PEP) wants to do away with
the $1 bus fare for schoolchildren and to add free breakfast to the School Meals Programme.
—————————————————
this was something i was asking why not in barbados for the last 11 years. many students stay home because they had no bus fare or anything to eat.
the barbados govt can afford to provide all students with bus passes which expire each month, who go against this motion i say has no confidence.
well, that is some food for thought for whoever win next week.
gotta see now who will reside in illaro court.
I hope the new DLP government would seek to prosecute this bunch of BLP thugs should any criminal acts be discovered with all the cost overruns. This should happen especially for what they tried to do to Branford Taitt and to this day they have not yet released the report clearing his name, a shame.
Full steam ahead David Thompson we the people stand behind you.
Meanwhile, in a letter to THE NATION, Ralph “Bizzy” Williams blamed “certain technocrats for delaying progress on the ABC Highway in order to embarrass Government.
He said he was prompted to write the letter because “fair is fair and the truth needs to be told.”
He added that while it was being delayed the world price of steel increased by about 50 per cent.
————————————————–
Thanks Bizzy, we realise steal was in there somewhere.
Not So
I hope you remember that the said Bizzy came on this site and criticised the bloggers and BFP for their comments about government corruption.
He insisted that the government was doing good things and our criticism would only hurt the country’s image overseas.
Well hell o o o ,what say you now Bizzy after the revealations of massive corruption on that flyover – fly-away (money) project.
Oops sorry,I forgot you were the person who woke up with that idea and went straight to the Prime Minister,got the go-ahead and then joined up with 3s.
I had such respect for you,but right now I think I’m going to be sick.
Bizzy,couldn’t you at least think about your country for once this time? – like you always told us you do – couldn’t you have spoken out about the irregularities like the lack of proper drawings,no contract yet money being disbursed?
Did you think of us the taxpayers at any time Bizzy and the burden that’s going to be on our backs and our children’s backs?
God bless you my good man,yuh hear?
Sleep well.
not so
I hope you noticed that BIZZY has not commented on the process involved in awarding the contract. Since he was the one who somehow convinced Owen to build the fly overs and will be one of the major benificiaries along with his brother do you expect him to be objective.
You shouls ask BIZZY how come he is in bed with that thief KARAMATH in THE DESAL PLANT as well as in building the houses at apes hill.
KARAMATH was arrested in relation to the Trinidad Airport scandal. He was also recently fired by the BIDC RECENTLY.
I am convinced that the BIDC did not do any due diligence on Karamath. Check out this newspaper article written in 2004:
Hotel sues contractor for $19M
Monday, May 31 2004
THE construction company contracted on January 13, 1998 to work on the Tobago Hilton has been sued by its contractor for $19,395,211. The writ was filed by M Hamel-Smith and Company at the Port-of Spain High Court Registry on May 21 on behalf of Vanguard Hotel Limited. Vanguard is claiming that Hafeez Karamath Construction Limited owes the hotel company $6,615,211 in overpayments for the contracted job, $11,940,000 in liquidating damages for the periods November 30, 1999 to January 28, 2000 and January 29 to July 6, 2000, and $840,000 in damages regarding a 14-day shut down of the Tobago Hilton in October 2000.
The sum is exclusive of VAT. Vanguard is also claiming interest on the sum owed as seen fit by the court. According to the writ, the construction company, via a letter dated February 2, 2004, had been called upon to pay the sum owed but had neglected to do so.
Don’t you think it is strange that Dr.Belle has had the polling results for sometime now and he is waiting until sunday to publish the results. This must be calculated to influence the results of the elections. Of course a 3 % swing to the BLP with a margin of error of between 5 and minus 5 still puts the DLP in a good position.
“Meanwhile, in a letter to THE NATION, Ralph “Bizzy” Williams blamed “certain technocrats for delaying progress on the ABC Highway in order to embarrass Government.”
Bizzy needs to tell us if the technocrats delayed the project because of:
– award of contract to 3S without proper due diligence and prior consultation
– inadequate planning of the project contributing to subsequent changes in scope of work and significant increases in costs
– lack of proper engineering drawings
– no bill of quantities on which to base cost estimates
– no written contract with 3S, only a MOU
I certainly hope that the technocrats objected to these things and expressed their concerns to the Minister.
Bizzy has apparently adopted the government’s strategy of responding to valid criticisms in a general way and ignoring the SPECIFIC matters raised.
I listen to Owen Arthur last night in a response to Thompson charges. At the time i had not listen to Thompson full speech. Owen Arthur gave what could be a believable response. When i did get around to listening to Thompson full speech it was clear that Owen’s attempted response was so weak, and soooooooo not asnwering the charges laid. As the saying goes “IF THOMPY SAY SO AND OWEN CAN’T REPSOND, IT MUST BE TRUE. 😀
It would seem to me that some persons while not being able to defend the proposition that OWEN ARTHUR IS A DICTATOR does not want to accept or display the comments that leads one to this conclusion. It is well accepted that what we have in the Prime Minister role in Barbados can be honestly define as an Elected Dictator. When the former Oliver Jackman wrote a column back in 2000 making this same exact case, there was not one response to the contrary. Now that Owen has liken himself unto FIDEL CASTRO, has made statements that make freedom lovers in democracies wonder, they are still doubters, who would want to say that those of us think such need to highlight are going over board.
What says you David? beyond the simpleton statement of it being overboard? the truth usually is. Should we adopt a wait and see posture in otherwords should we be pragmatic about it?
Maybe Bizzy would like to bring the details of the SRL. The SRL. The SRL. The SRL
The SRL 3s
The SRL Apes Hill
etc etc etc
Thank you Concerned Citizens of St. James South.
I was quite aware that paper that nearly blew away from Liz never had anything on it other than her speech.
I will not swear for the integrity of any man, after the showing of the BLP, however I know that it is time for change and so come Tuesday I will vote with my conscience and not for Party.
Anonymous // January 11, 2008 at 9:03 am
Don’t you think it is strange that Dr.Belle has had the polling results for sometime now and he is waiting until sunday to publish the results. This must be calculated to influence the results of the elections. Of course a 3 % swing to the BLP with a margin of error of between 5 and minus 5 still puts the DLP in a good position.
==============================
Of course this is the case. This poll is like any other piece of useless consumer item brought to the marketplace, that cannot stand on it’s own as an item of worth, therefore is in need of a marketing (advertizement) campaign, to inform people on why they need to buy it or buy into it.
….and this Boxhill guy is either not very informed or is a dammed liar, if he is unaware that polls can and have been use in other societies to influence the outcome of an election. I am sure he has never heard of the saying “damn lies and statistics” 😀
I am also concerned about the process, someone I know tried to get a flight to Guyana for business purposes and cannot get a flight between Jan 14-16 in or out.
That concerns me, that means that we have a rent-a-guyanese situation on our hands with a lot of votes being spoilt or illegal immigrants voting with Barbadian ID’s.
This is something that we have to watch
Another thing I want to add is, when a government can allow a known criminal to threaten one of our intelletuals/scholars and do not bring forces to bear.
What then will become of us as ordinary people
Does this 15,000 Represent the true number of illegal Guyanese in Barbados? Wunnuh must be vigilante. I think the portion of the REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE’S ACT that give legal status to commonwealth citizens to vote after 3 years in the island should be removed. What other purpose does serves other than what i am suggesting? The Guyanese problem has been with us since around 2000 and became MAGNIFIED around 2003. To date this BLP government has not told us the exact number, but i think we know now.
==============================
15 000 more on voters’ list
Published on: 1/11/08.
by CHRIS GOLLOP
FIFTEEN THOUSAND more voters will be eligible to vote in the January 15 General Election, compared with 2003.
Chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Philip Serrao, QC announced this yesterday following the issuing of the final
voters’ list.
The final list showed 235 475 voters (112 149 men and 123 326 women) compared with 220 093 in 2003.
Noting that Wednesday’s voting process for electoral officials had gone off without incident, he said everything would be in place for Tuesday’s vote.
In that regard, he confirmed reports that cellphones would not be allowed in polling stations.
“At the entrance to each polling station, there will be a receptacle for cellphones and cameras and voters will be asked to place and leave them in the receptacle,” Serrao said.
“After having marked the ballot and completed the voting process, the voter can retrieve the cellphone and/or camera on his way out of the station,” he added.
In all, there are 259 polling stations located across the island, 313 polling districts and 536 boxes to be counted. A total of 2 171 electoral officers will be on duty on Election Day.
With regard to identification cards, he reassured people whose cards had been lost or destroyed, that they would still be allowed to vote.
“If a person’s ID card has been lost or destroyed, a duplicate card with the voter’s photograph will be available to the presiding officer at the station and once satisfied the person is registered, the officer will issue a ballot paper and permit the person to vote even
though he/she does not have the ID card,” Serrao said.
I am also concerned about the process, someone I know tried to get a flight to Guyana for business purposes and cannot get a flight between Jan 14-16 in or out.
…………………………………………………………………….
Simply nonsense, at least if you say a flight “IN” you will have a reason. Are you trying to say that the Guyanese are returning home.
Secondly, it seems that you know the person who threatened one of our intelletuals/scholars. Please post the person name.
Does this 15,000 Represent the true number of illegal Guyanese in Barbados?
……………………………………………………………………
Adrian, it is simply voters who were too young to vote in 2003, but now reach the age to vote. That is what you call additional voters, but the same token goes with the reduction based on deaths occurred since the last count in 2003 and which must be published in the newspapers.
Horace Bailey and his bother are the two political scamps that threatened to kill DR DON MARSHALL.
Then we have the drunkard idiot Owing tell the DLp not to encourge violence at election time?
HE IS A COMPULSIVE SICKENING LIAR THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT TO PASTURE.
TOWARDS A NEW BEGINNING WITH THE DEMS ON the 15th OF JANUARY 2008.
LET US REMOVE THIS SCAMP, CROOK, AND DICTATOR.
Anonymous // January 11, 2008 at 11:05 am
It would appear from where I stand that this Boxill Guy was sucked into this thing and does not know what has been happenng on the ground. In addition to conducting market research one needs to understand the local situation.
If he is not careful Boxill will be shamed and discredited.
==============================
Boxhill is already discredited in my opinion for opining that he is not aware that polls have ever been used to influence an election results.
We should be proud as a nation that there has be no serious violence this election (unless you count Mia throwing a chair at Owen and the fight that ensued at the meeting in Roebuck Street after Owen called Clyde the BLP co-leader).
Horace Bailey name again. This fellow is well known to the court and a loud mouth bully and troublemaker. He is always in close proximity to Owen Arthur. Owen needs to banish Bailey and the police need to have a serious talk with him. He maybe thinking his friendship with Owen can stop him from going back to prison.
BLP = Blows, Licks, Punches
Is there a link between Guyanese votes and the very horrific and terrible Kenrick Hutson murder?
Most of the new voters will be Barbadians ages 18-22 just look at 11plus numbers from 1995-2000. If a cohort is around 3000 and with the low mortality of teenagers it’s easy to add almost 15000 in 5 years even with deaths.
If I had any doubts of Mr. David Thompson from before, most of them were eliminated since hearing some of the major points presented at the bombshell meeting held at Haggatt Hall on Wednesday Night this week. His consistent vocalized opinion and charged statements on the cost overruns in Barbados is one of the strongest points that he can continue to focus on for the remaining life of this campaign fever.
The cost overrun of particular is that of the ABC highway “Operation Free Flow” project managed by the local company Structural Steel Solutions (3S). This then reminded of the article that I read in our local newspaper the daily Nation Newspaper published on 9th September, 2007 of the civil litigation charges that the President of 3S Jonathan Danos has faced or is currently facing in a British High Court in Britain.
He is one of four defendants facing legal action on allegations of fraud and conspiracy related to a construction project initiated in Jamaica in 2002. Jamaica has taken Jonathan Danos to Court in Britain. The company inflated the cost of the project, and set themselves to split an almost BD$3 million worthy of money gain among himself and three other beneficiaries.
Yet, this is the same company that continues to have a current MoU with the Barbados Government dispite this VERY YOUNG COMPANY (just over 2yrs old) is already creating a tardy track record.
CAN THE GOVERNMENT REALLY BE TRUSTED…..
Click the following for the full News Article carried in the Nation Newspaper
http://www.nationnews.com/story/324763178186337.php
Hillary Clinton’s team work very hard to turn around the expected results that all of the polling organization in America said she was going to lose in New Hampshire.
The might red army of Russia was defeated by afghan sheep herders because they (afghans) were more convince of their cause than an army of CONCRIPTS could ever be.
The afghans were the cornered dogs in that fight and fight they did. The BLP are the cornered dogs in this elections. The DLP should expect them not to go down willingly or without a real fight.
The DLP has to match the BLP pound for pound on the night before and on polling day. If the DLP has become too principle to buy votes they will lose, as corned beef and biscuit politics is still a significant national passtime. If the DLP is hurting fuh cash and can’t find the means to pay private persons to act as means of transport on polling day for their supporters and others who may wish to cast their vote the DLP way, they will lose.
Owen Arthur may curse American and the Republicans but their campaign and election strategy borrows it’s methods and actions from what pertains in the great satan.
In America you have an election campaign heating up, with a lot of old hats and corrupt entrenched politicos talking about bringing change to America. What is the BLP’s strategy? Americans buy into a lot of fluffs and so do Bajans. If the BLP wins next Tuesday it is becuase they work real hard, not honestly or with truth, but hard nevertheless.
frankology // January 11, 2008 at 10:49 am
…………………………………………………………………….
Simply nonsense, at least if you say a flight “IN” you will have a reason. Are you trying to say that the Guyanese are returning home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Not so much nonsense as you think, come do that I have been paid to do and go back home knowing that if I help put a certain party in power Barbados would be just my playground
David:
Owen Arthur and the BLP should recognise that their policy of keeping people in the dark and feeding them garbage is useful only for growing mushrooms. The have been caught out by their deliberate policy of withholding information from the public of Barbados on the manner in which their taxes are being spent. The only means of overcoming the suspicion that they have been involved in corrupt activities would have been to publish the details of the public private partnership arrangement for the improvement of the ABC Highway.
The BLP has spoken about the Memorandum of Understanding under which the BOLT arrangement is being undertaken but the document has not been made available to the public. Persons who are interested in understanding how a BOLT arrangement usually works should read the information contained in the box on pages 23 and 24 if the Central Bank’s 2006 Annual Report.
It will be immediately obvious that the BOLT arrangements into which the BLP administration has entered have neither been structured nor function in the manner described by the Central Bank. The public of Barbados deserves a full explanation rather than declarations by the BLP that all is well.
These DLP yardfowls sound desperate indeed.
Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Owen is such a liar..during the budget debatre he said he gave the money to the party..now he is saying he devided it among his fellow thiefing ministers
when am i going to get my thing to tell me where i got to vote
alltough i ain’t voting for you
altough i ain’t voting for you
Jamaica and Guyana not taking Barbados Dollar!
Jamaica and Guyana not taking Barbados Dollar!
Just the thought of this happening again, makes me sick to the stomach…. therefore I CAN VOTE FOR DAVID “DESPERADO” THOMPSON!!!!!!!
Jamaica and Guyana not taking Barbados Dollar!
Just the thought of this happening again, makes me sick to the stomach…. therefore I CAN VOTE FOR DAVID “DESPERADO” THOMPSON!!!!!!!
************************************
I NOW WOKE UP FROM MY DREAM … THEREFORE I GOING WITH OWEN, AND MY BLP, I KNOW WHAT I HAVE BUT I AM SCARED OF WHAT I MAY GET, I DON’T HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE GOV’T SO WHY CHANGE FOR CHANGING SAKE? NO POLES CAN TELL ME HOW TO VOTE.
Undertaker you get some of that money in 2003? Bajan too luv to protect criminals that have been good to them. 😀
THIS BUNCH OF BASTARDS,CROOKS, FRAUDS, CORRUPT, THIEVES HAVE REACHED A NEW LOW IN THEIR ELECTION CAMPAINGING, ONLY TODAY I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE STATING THAT THEY WERE CALLING FROM QUALITY COMPUTERS LTD A COMPANY OWNED AND OPERATED BY KEVIN SKEETE A BLP OPERATIVE AND THAT THEY WERE CARRYING OUT A SURVEY, I HAD TO ASK THEM WHO AND WHAT THIS SURVEY WAS ABOUT, THEY HESITATED AND ALMOST DID NOT WANT TO RESPOND TO MY INQUIRY, ON PROMPTING THEM I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN ELECTION SURVEY, I ONCE AGAIN ASKED THEM ON WHO’S BEHALF THIS SURVEY WAS BEING CARRIED OUT THEY REFUSED TO REPLY, I ASKED THREE TIMES WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF DISHONESTY THEY REFUSED TO RELEASE THE NAME OF THE PARTY BEHIND THIS SURVEY, I TOLD THEM TO PROCEED, THE FIRST QUESTION WAS WHAT AGE GROUP I FITTED INTO THIS I HAD NO PROBLEM REPLYING TO SO I RESPONDED, THE SECOND QUESTION WAS ASKED WILL I VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIO I RESPONED MOST CERTAINLY I AM, THE THIRD QUESTION IS THE ONE THAT BLEW MY FUSE IT WAS ASKED OF ME WHICH PARTY WILL I BE VOTING FOR?
NOW WHEN THE BLP CAN BE NASTY , DISHONEST AND SO LOW TO AS TO TRY TO FIND OUT YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION BY COMING THRU THE BACK DOOR AND BY DOING SO IN A MOST UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER IS DOWNRIGHT DISHONEST AND OUT OF PLACE.
WE NEED LAWS THAT WILL ADDRESS THESE THINGS AND PREVENT THEM FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, IN OTHER WORDS IF THIS IS AN ELECTION SURVEY THE PERSON BEING SURVEYED NEEDS TO BE TOLD FOR WHICH PARTY UP FRONT THIS SURVEY IS CONTRACTED.
THESE SLIMY NASTY BACK DOOR APPROACHES ARE NOT TO BE USED.
I TRUST THAT THIS BLP OPERATIVE KEVIN SKEETE WILL LEARN ABOUT HONESTY IN HIS DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AND NOT TO BE LED ASTRAY BY ONES LIKE mOTTLEY AND COMPANY.
Fred; i learned a lot about the persons supporting the BLP from seeing their pictures on Facebook.com… A lot of these people are young, my age group and by their profession have seemly become a second generation of persons thou supposedly bright and or intelligent (the jury is out on that) have taken to a life of directly feeding at or by indirectly via political patronage and associations.
The desperate BLP have themselves on facebook they have been on fot a few months now, with all their hype , money and control the have not been able to gather any members there to have a total of 77 members is quite sad really my children have many more friends on facebook to what the BLP have gathered.
It is made even worst by the fact that some of those listed are known to be voting for the DLP.
It much like their meetings where the crowds have deserted them , like last evening where we had 1 person and 5 police listening to Gill at a meeting.
TOO MANY LIES AND TOO MUCH CORRUPTION IS THE ISSUE AND THE DEMISE OF THE BLP.
Don’t know what I should believe but I have to reach some conclusion.
Owen say the DLP getting foreign help because local businesses can’t afford that amount of financing.
To the naked eye and ear the BLP spending just as much or more than the DLP.
I was not born nor have I become retarded since birth.
What should I conclude? That I stupid or that Owen admitting to the BLP getting overseas financing too? So if the both of them are being financed what is the problem? Owen you too selfish though!
And why is it that Owen ain’t bring any proof of Taiwan financing the DLP but poor David is expected to prove that Taiwan didn’t? According to Hoyte he did not go far enough in denying, but he did not seem to realise that Owen did not go anywhere near bringing proof.
I can honestly say that this election has caused me to lose my political innocence. I have finally seen what some men will do for power, and to retain power, and how corrupting power really is. Boy oh boy.
TRANCRIPT OF DAVID THOMPSON’S SPEECH AT HAGGAT HALL
I have invited Barbadians here tonight to emphasize my worry and disgust at the direction in which our country is headed. The Barbados Labour Party has given us every reason to vote them out of office and, after tonight, it would be preposterous for this country to say that notwithstanding the myriad reasons and the mounting evidence of corruption, squander mania and mal-administration, that it is still “moving with Owen.”
I wish first to address the lame excuse of those who say “I agree we need change, but the Dems ain’t ready yet”. What are you looking for? What are you waiting for?
We must stop the contradiction and the intellectual dishonesty in this country. The DLP is today far more prepared, equipped and ready to assume the reins of government than was the Barbados Labour Party of 1976 and more so of 2003.
In 1976, the BLP did not even have a leader. There was still infighting over whether Bree had been un-faired, whether Henry Forde was the natural leader of the Under Forty’s Group or whether Tom Adams, the son of Grantley Adams, was deserving of this mantle. In 1976 Tom Adams said he wanted a larger Opposition and you went out and gave him the government.
The DLP administration of that day did not lie, cheat or steal but you said it was time for them to go and you voted in an untried and unproven BLP.
In 1994, I would be the first to admit that the DLP gave the voters of Barbados good reason to vote them out of office, but you, the electorate, never batted an eyelid. You voted into office a party made up of a drunken captain and a band of unknown, inexperienced and incompetent sailors. In 1994 Owen Arthur had never sat in a Cabinet before…but you made him Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of this country. Half of his Cabinet had never even sat in the Parliament of Barbados before. But you voted them into office, because you recognized and determined the need for change.
You did not put the BLP under the microscope then, but some armchair critics in Barbados are persisting with this BLP nonsense of the DLP not ready to govern.
There is no party in Barbados more divided than the Barbados Labour Party. It is not in George Street that leaders are being body slammed and police are being called in to part fights. I did not name any ‘just-come’ member my Co-leader. Nobody on this side has made clear that they will not serve in my Cabinet if I do not name them sole Deputy Prime Minister.
The fighting is going on over there…but there are those who wish to persist with this nonsense of the Democratic Labour Party not being ready to govern.
Let us examine for a moment the team and the state of readiness of the DLP. Our team was selected, ratified and presented to the people of this country over 15 months ago. The credentials of our members are second to none that was presented by any party for the past 25 years.
I am a Parliamentarian of some 20 years standing with more than 4 years of Cabinet experience, including serving between 1992 and 1994 as Minister of Finance. Owen Arthur was nowhere near as qualified to lead Barbados in 1994.
This DLP team of 2008 comprises personal and professional successes. There is not a single member of this team of candidates that has not made a success of his or her life or chosen career path. None is tonight in the job market. None is seeking to enter politics as a way of guaranteeing his or herself a decent salary. In 1993 Owen Arthur cried on national television that he could not get a job and he could not make ends meet. He said he could not live in Barbados, because he was less than a man in his own house.
Tonight, many rate him among the 10 top wealthiest men in Barbados…and certainly, the wealthiest leader in the Caribbean.
I allude to his wealth, because we are in the middle of a general election campaign and Owen Arthur appear to like general election campaigns. He has the temerity tonight to be engaging the Democratic Labour Party on the issue of campaign financing. When you look across this country you can see and sense that the Democratic Labour Party is running a high impact, visual campaign.
We have been able to attract certain funds and we have put those funds to good use. People who have given me money can see clearly what I have done with that money.
I use this opportunity once again to reiterate that this Democratic Labour Party has not received a single cent in funding from either China or Taiwan. Furthermore, we have not discussed the issue of diplomatic relations with China, Taiwan or any country…for that matter. I hope that his puts an end to this nonsensical issue once and for all.
But the same cannot be said of the Barbados Labour Party in this election and certainly not in the last general election. There are candidates of the BLP who are crying out for lack of funding. Some say they cannot even afford a public address system to advertise meetings. Yet, I am aware that the BLP has collected significantly more money than has the DLP. Most of the persons who have contributed to our campaign have made clear that they have also contributed to the campaign of the BLP…but looking around Barbados and on their campaign in particular, you cannot see or imagine where that money has gone.
I know where the contributions of 2003 went! I even know how those contributions were masterminded.
(Document 1) breakdown of cheques
(Document 2) $400,000.00 Bowie Cross
(Document 3) Bowie Cross Bill
(Document 4) $40,000.00 Friends of St. Michael NW
(Document 5) Rommell Marshall’s signature
(Document 6) $200,000.00 to BLP
(Document 7) Authorisation for $200,000.00
(Document 8) $40,000.00 Friends of Ch. Ch. East
(Document 9) Farley’s signature
(Document 10) $75,000.00 Owen Arthur
(Document 11) Signature of OA
On a personal level, Owen Arthur has sought to portray every single candidate of the Democratic Labour Party and other leading persons associated with this party as a rogue, a vagabond and a thief. As far as Owen Arthur is concerned, if Our Lord and Saviour were to return tonight, he alone would go to heaven and all others, including the full slate of candidates of the Democratic Labour Party, would go directly to hell.
The DLP has cited numerous examples in recent years of questionable financial dealings on the part of this government. We have all heard of the more than $750 million in cost overruns racked up by this government. Those of us close enough to Owen Arthur can draw the connection between his perceived astronomical increase in wealth and the procurement policies of this government.
It is not well known that 90 per cent of the major procurement of this government is undertaken by a single company…more to the point, a single individual. Almost every piece of heavy-duty equipment, every large vehicle, almost every major acquisition of this government is channeled to and through an individual who was one of the few known faces at Owen Arthur’s wedding.
Owen Arthur did not invite any of his Ministers and even some of his relatives to his wedding, but he invited Hallam Nicholls and you must ask yourself if there is any coincidence with the fact that Hallam Nicholls and associate companies have been at the receiving end of a significant amount of governmental contracts to import items for and on behalf of this government.
I would believe that Hallam Nicholls, a frighteningly close friend of Owen Arthur, has benefited directly from in excess of $30 million of government procurement business over the last decade. Yet, you wonder why so many small businessmen have gone out of business. They have gone out of business because 90 per cent of the procurement business has been gobbled up by a single individual, who happens to be the bosom-pal of the Prime Minister.
The name Hallam Nicholls was also mentioned by the late Johnny Cochrane as we flew on a flight from the Caribbean to Miami a few years ago. Johnnie Cochrane was a major shareholder and director in the now defunct Eastern Caribbean Lottery. That lottery was forced upon the Barbados Cricket Association by senior members of this Barbados Labour Party government.
Johnnie Cochrane, in recalling his business exploits and experiences in the Caribbean, recalled how he was introduced to other Caribbean countries and Caribbean leaders and found it a pleasure doing business elsewhere.
But, he said to me, he had never encountered such shrewd negotiators as Barbadians. Cochrane spoke of a near six-hour meeting that took place in a hotel room in Washington where the failure of his company to agree to a demanded commission on all ticket sales in Barbados, would have led to the East Caribbean Lottery not being granted a license to set up business in Barbados.
In other words, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am saying tonight that someone in Barbados benefited to the tune of 4.25 per cent or, in practical terms, eight cents from every ticket bought by Barbadians during the time that the East Caribbean lottery was operating in Barbados.
I am saying further tonight that it is known to the person who has benefited that at least one member of this party is in possession of that information and that is why that person is the target of abuse on a nightly basis from the platform of the Barbados Labour Party.
All I would say at this point is that East Caribbean Lottery was started first in Antigua and Barbuda and many of the meetings of directors of that company took place in Antigua and Barbuda and someone close to this party was in on many of the meetings that took place, including those at restaurants in and around King’s Casino.
Tonight, therefore, I am calling on Owen Arthur to state whether he or any individual or organization to which he is associated, benefited in any material way from the operation of East Caribbean Lotteries in Barbados?
Furthermore, I call on Owen Arthur to state whether licenses have been granted for the successor company to East Caribbean Lotteries to operate in excess of 400 for-profit video game machines at venues across Barbados and whether these machines are already in Barbados and are about to be installed?
I want to know who are the local affiliates of the company and whether any of them is Hallam Nicholls or his offspring acting for or on behalf of any public official?
While the Barbados Labour Party on one side of their mouth criticize gambling, I want them to tell the country about the 4.25 per cent commission that was made a standing order to the secret account of a high flying official of the Barbados Labour Party.
But tonight, my focus is not only on the appropriation and misappropriation of private funds. Even though persons in public life should not be demanding commissions or other favors in return for favorable consideration of applications and requests, I recognize that private money is private money and you cannot tell a private individual or entity what to do with or how to spend their money. But that equation changes when it comes to the management of public funds.
We have spoken in recent years about the inordinate spending of money. Persons have asked for a breakdown of cost overruns and tonight I will share some of these, before I move to what I consider the scandal of the century.
The projected cost of the Gems project was $130 million – the estimated final cost is $390 million. Greenland Landfill was projected at $30 million – the estimated final cost now stands at $90 million. The Government building at Warrens was projected to cost $50 million, the estimated final cost is more like $120 million. Beach bathroom facilities at Silver Sands were put at $80, 000.
That project ended up costing $400 000. Cricket World Cup was projected at $130 million, it ended up costing $420 million. The new prison was projected at $120 million Barbados dollars, it ended up costing $120 million United States dollars. In addition to these you had the cutting down of a tree for $11, 000 and lobbying to secure a fishing agreement with Trinidad costing in excess of $12 million, with still no license in place to prevent our fishermen from being arrested.
But tonight, I have invited you here to Bussa Roundabout to join me in taking a look down this section of the ABC Highway. Here you will see visible evidence of work being carried out by the two Barbadian firms of CO Williams and Rayside Concrete Works.
I want tonight to slow my pace so that you can listen and understand clearly what I am saying.
Barbadians have been given dribs and drabs, in recent times, about what is commonly referred to as “The ABC Highway Road Widening and Flyovers Project” but precious little information has been shared by the government of Barbados on exactly what is going, as it unfold before your eyes. Tonight…I want you to stand up straight and listen to what I have to say.
As is the case in Parliament, I wish to make the primary source of my information to you tonight…a document of this meeting. In my hands is a copy of the most recent submission of the technical people in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport concerning the expansion of the ABC Highway. It’s a document entitled Barbados Road Network Infrastructure Improvement Project. (Document Number 12)
It’s a report on construction costs assessment of Section II Steel overpass Bridges. I wish tonight to make this a document of this meeting and to make clear that it is from this document that I have drawn a significant amount of the info that I will share with you tonight. I also leaned very heavily on a cadre of professional patriots who simply could take no more abuse by the political directorate of this country. Tonight – I salute those professionals who have made the compilation of this investigative report possible!
Back in 2005, local civil engineering consulting firms were asked to submit proposals for the engagement of services with respect to road widening of the ABC Highway.
Proposals were submitted to the Ministry of Public Works and were in the process of being evaluated, when, even before the selection of a consultant was ratified by Cabinet, a “mystery” firm called 3S was brought into the picture through local connections.
3S, of which very little was and still is known, merely presented a graphic presentation of a flyover scheme and all normal and accepted procedures went through the window. This video or graphic presentation was never properly scrutinized by engineers in the Ministry of Public Works. Nevertheless, the government soon announced that it was entering into a BOLT (Build, Operate, Lease, Transfer) agreement to have EIGHT flyovers constructed before the final of Cricket World Cup. The proposals that were invited for road widening by local consultants were suddenly abandoned.
Government and 3S appeared to have been motoring along their merry way with their newly minted agreement, when suddenly someone whispered that there needed to be the semblance of transparency. So in January 2006, Public Works wrote to several local consulting firms requesting a “BOLT” proposal for road widening and flyovers.
A BOLT proposal would normally require more than three months to prepare. It requires the consultant to locate financiers who would be willing to inject more than $100 million into a project of that magnitude. Many other considerations are necessary for the proposal, such as repayment schedules, how the lease would be operated and agreement of contractors to participate in the team effort.
Amazingly, the period for response was only about one month, on the pretext that the work would be expected to be complete for the World Cup – what a lame excuse!!!
The Democratic labour Party does not know if any of the local consultants was able to respond with a proposal, but soon thereafter, and without any explanations to the consultants, it was announced that 3S was engaged by the government to undertake a BOLT arrangement.
Imagine government agreeing to millions of dollars in expenditure, without any drawings that could properly be used for evaluation. In other words, a man comes and tells you he will build you a house and you sign the contract for him to start without any architectural or engineering drawings. You don’t even know his capabilities because you have not seen any work that he has done. Yet you give him the go ahead to start work!
This normally would raise eyebrows, but in the Cabinet of Owen Arthur, there is one encyclopedia and 16 copybooks. The matter is taken to Cabinet and is rubber-stamped by the dummies that Arthur has sitting around that table.
Events further revealed that before any work could commence, such time had elapsed that it was impossible for any meaningful, albeit partial, completion to be realized before Cricket World Cup.
THERE WAS THEREFORE NO NEED TO START THE PROJECT BEFORE COST COULD BE EVALUATED AND WITHOUT ADEQUATE DRAWINGS, SPECIFICATIONS AND BILL OF QUANTITIES.
ALSO, THERE WAS NOW TIME FOR PROPER CONTRACTS TO BE ENTERED INTO!
Nevertheless, the Owen Arthur administration disregarded its duty for due diligence. Due diligence means an examination of the bona fides of the company. This should always be part of the legal governmental framework.
The public of Barbados was not apprised of what was going on, but in July of 2006, 3S started the construction based on road widening in the sum of BDS$40, 232, 432 and eight flyovers for BDS$$79, 517, 659…which gave an overall sum of $119, 750 000.
Please note that work started and no contract was signed. Please note also that there were no construction drawings that were to be submitted by 3S, so that work could be properly supervised by Public Works. In layman’s language, the Government gave 3S a signed, blank cheque to start work on the road with no clear drawings of what needed to be done.
The Democratic Labour Party understands that senior engineers with the Public Works Ministry were appalled. Things were in turmoil and the minister was advised that it was the wrong way to go about this project.
Advice by competent engineers both in the public and private sectors was for the most part ignored and it was the executive arm of government that got the work off the ground.
Now, cast your memory back and recall that when work started on the widening, the public did not see any equipment with the labels 3S. Instead, it saw only COW Williams and Rayside Equipment. The question that one is therefore forced to ask is whether the government could not have engaged directly with local contractors?
The supervisors from Public Works were unfairly expected to supervise the construction without approved contract prices and no adequate drawings. Work was just determined on the side by the contractors. IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT TO JAIL FOR THIS. THIS WAS AND STILL IS A MOST APPALING SITUATION!!!
Mysteriously, no one was hearing about flyovers except every now and then when Gline Clarke had nothing else to talk about he would mention the subject.
The absence of working drawings, specifications and bills of quantities and a signed contract has given 3S a complete opening to do as it likes, both in terms of the physical work and in terms of how much will be charged for the works.
This whole project started merely with an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). You imagine a project at its initial estimate of $119,000,000.00 could start without any specifications, Bill of Quantities, working drawings or contract? But that is not the worst! That is not the worst example of the fine leadership that Owen Arthur is offering this country.
From an original understanding – not a contract – of a figure of $119, 750 000 in November 2005, Cabinet on 6th May, 2006, just prior to World Cup, when he was considering calling the election, agreed that construction would begin on 24th July, 2006 at a new price of $143, 614, 460.23 for road widening and 8 flyovers.
Just understand that in less than six months the figure went up by $25 million and still there were no specifications, working drawings and bill of quantities to determine the basis for the increase. But Cabinet, made up of one encyclopedia and 16 copy- books, approved the increase.
The flyovers were always the primary focus and, all of a sudden, Public Works only saw Rayside and COW Williams working on the road widening. 3S, without a contract, is allowed to make adjustments to its price for the road widening.
Out of the figures I quoted for the combination of road widening and flyovers, the portion for road widening started at $40,232,432.00 jumped to $70,231,220.23 by cabinet decision of May 6th, 2006 and amazingly has now jumped at December 2007 to a staggering $117,000,000.00 for widening only.
This is an increase of an astronomical $46,768,780.77 on the May, 2006 revised cost and a more than $75 million increase on the original price. And note: up to December 2007 when general elections were called, there was still no binding contract in place.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have engineers as members of the Democratic Labour Party and I have spoken to them as well as other private sector engineers. They all unanimously agreed that the Road Widening of the ABC Highway does not involve house relocations, setting back of fences, repairs to houses, Also, the shaping of the road is already determined. In other words, the road widening is a simpler operation than say Highway 2A.
Yet, this road widening involves some five kilometers. In all fairness they are adding two lanes, so technically the total length would be 10 kilometres. Therefore you the taxpayers are being asked to pay $11.7 million dollars for each kilometer of road that is merely being added to an existing road.
To better understand the royal rip off and bare-faced thiefing that is taking place, you must consider the following:
In Barbados today a highway is being widened at a cost of $11.7 million per kilometer. The same companies working on this job are being paid no more than $2 million a kilometer in neighboring Caribbean islands.
There is no country in the region paying more than $2 million for a kilometer of straight road, but the Barbados Government, under the astute leadership of Owen Arthur is paying $11.7 million a kilometer. And for this, he must be honored, revered and returned to office?
I invite you tonight to compare this extravagant price to Highway 6 – Searles to Six Roads – a six kilometer stretch of road, that included extensive house relocation and set backs. Highway 6 was completed at a cost of $20 million, which translates to $3.6 million per kilometer.
Compare this also to Highway 2A – which involved very deep cuttings due to hard rock, soil conditions and several major bridges. Also many house acquisitions and relocations. Highway 2A was a total of $60 million which is $7.5 million per kilometer.
The road widening should therefore not be expected to cost more than $4 million per kilometer – but we are talking of government and governance under the great economist – King Owen Arthur. Do you see why certain business people in Barbados are saying we need Owen now more than ever before?
I am saying tonight that before general elections on Tuesday, Owen Arthur must explain to the people of Barbados the exorbitant costs and the bungled manner in which this Highway Widening programme has been pursued.
THIS IS A RIDICULOUS AND SCANDALOUS SITUATION THAT DEMANDS ANSWERS BEFORE TUESDAY.
Do you know that it is only recently that drawings marked for construction were submitted for the road widening? This is some 12 months after construction was started and the contract period is only 22 months. That means that you only have working drawings for the last 10 months of such a vital project. For the first 12 months they were merely winging it.
The engineers in Public Works identified several instances of wastage and ridiculous charges but were told by the political leadership to butt out.
Preliminaries, which are for office accommodation, various types of insurances, mobilization of plant, usually are around 10 per cent of the contract sum.
However, if the contract figure rises, the percentage for preliminaries usually drops. If it is 10 per cent for a $50 million project, it doesn’t mean you require any larger office for a $100 million project.
We however understand that 3S is charging a whopping 35 per cent of construction cost as preliminaries.
THAT IS PREPOSTEROUS!! NEVER BEFORE HEARD OF IN MODERN, CIVILISED SOCIETY!! BUT AGAIN, ONLY IN BARBADOS, UNDER KING ARTHUR, DO SUCH THINGS TAKE PLACE!
Because they have engaged two local contractors, they cannot add on preliminaries willy-nilly. If there were a contract prior to construction start this would never have happened.
If you think it was total madness with the road widening, just listen to this with respect to the flyovers. Flyovers were regarded, by the Government, as the answer to alleviation of traffic congestion. They were to be completed before the World Cup. And yet, up to now have not started.
Now, the initial component for the flyovers by Cabinet decision of May 6th was $73, 383, 240. This was for eight flyovers. My engineers have advised that the cost for the flyovers should be easily determined once working drawings are submitted. The superstructure consisting of steel and concrete can be accurately calculated. Prices of steel are almost fixed worldwide at any given time and so only the profit margins may vary. The labour component is usually identifiable – such as say $1,000 per ton or the going rate at time of estimate. Some small variation may take place in completing the erection.
Therefore, how in hell’s name that a figure of $73, 383, 240 could be agreed (note agreed to and not contracted) by Government on May 6th, 2006 for, I stress EIGHT (8) FLYOVERS, and then the number of needed flyovers is revised downwards to six and in December 2007, 3S is requesting a sum of $145, 022, 162. 42 for – I stress – SIX (6) FLYOVERS?
I am calling on the voters of Barbados to demand a full explanation of this raw abuse of power and naked rape of the treasury of Barbados before a vote is cast on Tuesday morning.
This revelation tonight explains why Owen Arthur did not want to debate me on financial management and governance. It explains why this election was called three days before Christmas and why they wanted to short circuit public debate and discussion.
It explains why newspaper columns critical of the government were cancelled and why certain key public officers were sent on leave.
I am saying to Barbados tonight that this rot has got to stop. If you put this corrupt group of bastards back in office, there will be nothing left for your children and your grand children.
This is the most thiefing and corrupt government in the history of the Caribbean. They make the Bird Government in Antigua look like a class of Sunday School teachers.
The cost overruns, already incurred and anticipated on this ABC Road widening and flyover project, will carry the value of cost overruns by this government in less than 10 years to well over the one billion dollar mark. (Document Number 13 and 14)
The combined total of widening and flyovers at the start of the project was $119,750,000. Today, less than two years later and with more than half of the work still to be done, we are told that to complete that project the bill to taxpayers of this country will now move from $120 million to a whopping, a staggering $262, 022, 162. 42. If this is not highway robbery…tell me what is??
The most scandalous aspect of all of this is the option of a BOLT agreement is normally preferred when a country is seeking to import external funds. Again, on the strange paradoxes of King Arthur’s arrangement is that, not surprisingly, this money could not be raised by 3S in the international market. And do you know where in the final analysis and with the full approval of government the money was sourced? The Barbados National Bank.
Do you know essentially whose money is deposited in BNB? Both public and private sector money? Your money!
So, in other words, King Arthur – the great economist and great leader of this country – flew around the world and came back with a company called 3S, flew back around the world looking for money and came back borrowing money from himself!
The danger in all this is that if this project is not completed, or if there is anything structurally wrong with this project because of the absence of specifications, it is the taxpayer of Barbados who will be left holding the bag. The only risk as of now being carried by 3S is the ability of its officials to make a safe trip to the Airport and get out of Barbados.
When this is added to other overruns chalked up in the last 15 months and that figure is added to the $750 million that we had already calculated and which, to date, the Government has not denied – because it can’t – you realize that a total of not less than one billion dollars of hard-earned taxpayers money has gone through the eddoes and that those who are responsible are asking you to put them back in there again.
Do you know how many houses could have been built with $1 billion? Do you know the number of schools, police and fire stations that could have been repaired? Do you know that with that cash in hand we could have removed the VAT from all food items in this country? Do you know that that would have brought down you food bill and the overall cost of living by a considerable percentage?
Yet, many of you are saying you are not sure whether you are going to vote? Not voting in this election is almost treasonous. IF YOU HAVE A VOTE, YOU NEED TO USE IT NOW…MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
I am saying tonight that the Democratic labour Party is ready to rescue this country from the hands of Owen Arthur, Clyde Mascoll, Mia Mottley and that bunch. I am saying tonight that this project in particular will be fully investigated through the medium of a Commission of Inquiry.
I am saying tonight that this election is henceforth about whether we want to get back that $1 billion stolen from the public’s purse or whether we want to give the perpetrators of that crime a further opportunity to steal another $1 billion.
I am saying this election is, among other things, about whether we are going to investigate the naked rape of the treasury of Barbados by this bunch of political interlopers or whether we shall sweep all this under the carpet and put them back in there to start stealing afresh.
The time for nick-picking is over. This is your country. You are either going to save it or let it slide to total destruction. This economy cannot afford such reckless spending.
This country cannot afford such squandermania and mismanagement. I am saying tonight before God and Man…we need the DEMS again. Voters of Barbados you need to vote now…more than ever!
Let us compare the two political campaigns todate.
The DLP have had the blp on the back foot from the outset of this election, theDLP’S campaign has been well thought out and has dealt with the issues facing the people and it is one that has been thought thru by ordinary citizens and the people of this island, on the other hand the blp has been run on replies to the DLP and fear Tactics and hype but most amazingly it is not a campaign that was created by local minds with locals in their thoughts this campaign has been the brain child of one ROY BOYKE who is from TRINIDAD and he the CLOWN JEVAN from RED ADVERTISING my only comment to this is this is a sad display of your professional skills to the two of you.
However keep the work up it is helping the success of the DLP by leaps and bounds so congrats to you both.
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