KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – The founder of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) and former prime minister Sir James Mitchell has again called on Arnhim Eustace, the man he handpicked to succeed him as leader of the party, to step down.
“My party needs to re-evaluate itself. It needs to understand in all honestly where they are,” Sir James, who retired from politics in 2000, said of the NDP, which he founded in 1975.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - It appears that Tillman Thomas will remain leader of Grenada’s National Democratic Congress (NDC)—at least until a general membership meeting of the party. The NDC, which had been in government since July 2008, suffered a humiliating 15-0 defeat by the New National Party (NNP) at general elections on February 19. But NDC deputy chairman, Ken Joseph, said that Thomas’s leadership has not been an issue in post-election discussions held by the party’s executive.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - THOSE of us in the Caribbean journalism profession who have long come to appreciate the excellent, almost reverential, ethical standards established by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), would always share the disappointment and sense of hurt whenever colleagues of this internationally renowned media institution fall victim to improper behaviour and activities.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has written Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary-General, Irwin La Rocque, in an attempt to discourage Caribbean participation in a March meeting in Ecuador to discuss the future of the Inter-American human rights system.
The ACM says “it is our view that this meeting of signatories, which is not based on a conventional legal standard, is inconsistent with the process that has been developing for more than two years within the Organization of American States (OAS).”
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Workers employed at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) stayed away from their jobs on Friday protesting the decision of the utility company to hire a 65 year-old Trinidadian as a manager.
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) said that the company had replaced electricity manager Lyndon Francis with the un-named Trinidadian and that at least 100 workers had decided to stay off the job.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Public servants took to the streets in Castries on Friday in support of demands for higher wages that the government of Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony said it cannot afford.
The workers are seeking a six per cent wage hike with benefits or a nine per cent increase, but Anthony said the government could only afford a four per cent wage increase and warned of retrenchment within the public service if the increase is any higher.
SANTO DOMINGO—More than 25 business support organisations (BSOs) across the region participated in a regional workshop aimed at equipping them to support their respective private sectors. The training was through the 2nd Regional Trade Information Training Programme and Data Processing and Collection Mechanisms Training.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Bank of Jamaica posted on its website February 15 an IMF press release with the caption, 'IMF and Jamaica authorities reach staff-level agreement on key elements of the EFF-Supported programme'. This is the first of two steps in the approval process; the other is approval by the IMF board that should take place by the end of March. This means that Jamaica will be able to draw down U$750m, 175 per cent of the amount to which it is entitled. It also means that Jamaica will be able to receive loans and grants from other multilateral and bilateral sources.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Elections are over, the Cabinet has been sworn into office, as have been the senators recommended by the Prime Minister, and Parliament sits for the first time during the course of this week. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and his colleagues are to be congratulated on having pulled off a nail-biting win, and should now expect to receive the goodwill of all Barbadians, tempered by such constructive criticism in keeping with the traditional decencies associated with our adversarial system of politics.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - With an eye to the economy and Government’s renewable energy platform, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is eagerly looking forward to his new term starting on Wednesday with the opening of Parliament and reading of the Throne Speech by Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave.
Speaking to the media after last Friday’s swearing in of Cabinet at Government House, Stuart said the Government was excited about its programme for the next five years and the prospects for Barbados.