KINGSTON, Jamaica - THE 'wipeout' of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas's first-term National Democratic Congress (NDC) Administration at Tuesday's general election in Grenada was a stunning political development that has left governance in that CARICOM state where it was some 16 years ago — without a parliamentary Opposition.
Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica - SIR DENNIS Byron, president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), is to deliver a public lecture at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, tomorrow. Sir Dennis' lecture is the second in the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) Distinguished Lecture Series. His visit comes less than two weeks before the CCJ opens its first hearing in Jamaica to consider the Shanique Myrie matter. Myrie has taken the Barbadian government to the CCJ on allegations that she was assaulted by an immigration officer in March 2011.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - JAMAICA'S harsh experience with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to get a new $750 million loan, signals equally harsh conditions for many Caribbean countries in the not too distant future. The burden of the tough conditions placed on Jamaica by the IMF falls entirely on the Jamaican people and Jamaican businesses.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The foreign minister of Suriname is reported in the press as stating that his Government will neither nominate nor support Mr. Albert Ramdin, a distinguished Surinamese, for the post of secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS). The minister is also reported to have said Suriname will support the Guyanese nominee for assistant secretary-general, the post which Mr. Ramdin now holds. This is a very strange position to state publicly since at this time there is no vacancy nor any formally announced candidates in either post.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Last week, St Lucia's Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony, issued a warning about Europe's future relationship with the Caribbean. Speaking in his capacity as outgoing chair of CARICOM, he suggested the possibility of a reassessment as a result of the EU's changing development policy towards middle-ranking economies. Speaking to CARICOM Heads of Government in Haiti, Dr. Anthony suggested that such changes may lead to Europe, as well as CARICOM, having to determine not just the diplomatic, but also the political value of the existing relationship.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Who is this special advisor from Britain, Shaun Bailey, and what is his real purpose here in Jamaica? Those of us who are of the pre-independence era, and who have emerged through the delivery of our country from colonialism to independence, must ask the above question with sadness.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - CARICOM has supported Jamaica's hosting of the regional meeting of the Conference of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in June this year. The meeting is part of the preparatory process for the third summit of SIDS to be held in Samoa next year.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - AILING President Hugo Chavez has returned to Venezuela, but that is not synonymous with a return to active service as leader of the country. His arrival in Caracas is not likely to silence political opponents salivating at the prospect of his demise, nor will it end the rampant speculation that his precarious health could force him to resign from office. He has been president for 14 years during which time he has been a populist in domestic policy and a nationalist in foreign policy.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (UPI) -- Caribbean security industry operators are seeing business growth in response to both prosperity of an emerging wealthy class and a rise in crime risks to rich individuals and business organizations. Vigorous armed pursuit of organized crime in Latin America, in particular in Colombia and Mexico, has driven criminal drug gangs and syndicates toward potential rich pickings in the Caribbean. Governments have responded by building up security services, often with British or U.S. help.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Unintentionally, perhaps, the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) was less than generous with the facts, or the interpretation thereof. But through its wool and waffle we discern an effort to finally get on with the job of delivering new, cheaper electricity-generating capacity to the country and to give the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and its parents a fair shot at the effort. This newspaper supports the move because Jamaica has dilly-dallied for too long on the energy question.