St. John’s Antigua- The key debate at this year’s OECS Regional Assembly was the implementation of the Free Movement of People and Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said the nation’s laws in this regard would be solidified in a matter of months. Spencer acknowledged that most of the seven- member states and two associate member- states have yet to implement free movement of the sub-region’s citizenry, but said there is a renewed “commitment” to do just that after the conclusion of the Assembly.
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, CMC – The Legislative Assembly in this British Overseas Territory has been prorogued paving the way for the May 22 general elections.
Governor Duncan Taylor signed the necessary proclamation ahead of Nomination day Wednesday.
At least 40 candidates are expected to contest the elections, but Political observers say the election will be a straight fight between the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM).
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - For disaster management personnel, the challenge of preparing Caribbean communities is a great one. That is according to the outgoing Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Jeremy Collymore. His comments came during an interview with the media yesterday afternoon following a media conference and luncheon in his honour at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
BRUSSELS, CMC – Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals, including former Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo, have been included in the 14-member Eminent Persons Group (EPG) whose mission will be to provide guidance and recommendations for the future of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Grouping. Apart from 48-year-old Jagdeo, who served as President of Guyana from 1999 to 2011, the other CARICOM national on the EPG, is Jamaican-born Patricia Francis, the executive director of the International Trade Centre (ITC).
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Dave Cameron unseated Julian Hunte as West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president yesterday and immediately promised lofty goals aimed at restoring the regional team to the top of world cricket. In a closely fought ballot at the regional governing body’s annual general meeting, the 42-year-old Cameron polled seven votes to Hunte’s five – a result that suggested there was a split of votes in at least one of the six territorial boards.
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada will hold a referendum in two years to decide on the island’s relationship with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Governor General Sir Carlyle Glean said Wednesday.
Addressing the ceremonial opening of the new Parliament since the February 19 general elections, Sir Carlyle said that the Constitution Reform Committee would be reconstituted and given a two year mandate, with the CCJ among its top priorities.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - FOR decades the small developing states of the world, led by the advocacy of Caricom, have been at pains to explain to the world that their economies are very vulnerable to adverse external events, to which they have severely limited capacity for adjustment.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) (The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Standby Facility represents a new paradigm for collaboration between Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) States and the European Union (EU), as does the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) Standby Facility with respect to collaboration between CARICOM States and the EU.
(Jamaica Observer) - A moderate earthquake has rattled Trinidad & Tobago, causing some alarm, but no reported damage or injuries.
The US Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 quake struck early yesterday and was centred some 50 miles north east of Roxborough, an eastern town on the tourism-dependent island of Tobago. It was also felt in the Caribbean country of Barbados.
Its epicentre was about 46 kilometres (29 miles) below the surface.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Journalist Anika Gumbs-Sandiford has retained former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj as she pursues legal action against Sports Minister Anil Roberts for defamation.
“I have been advised by Senior Counsel that the words spoken and published amount to serious slander and libel and would entitle me to be vindicated by the court in respect to my character and reputation as an investigative journalist.