REGIONAL BRIEFS

Guyana placed on flood alert GEORGETOWN, Guyana, December 13, 2008: Intense rainfall and flooding in some regions have led to government of Guyana issuing flood warning as residents are being urged to brace themselves for worse than the great floods of 2005-2006. Recorded rainfall from Thursday night to Friday morning showed an accumulation of some 8 inches of water Acting President Samuel Hinds issued a call for Guyanese, particularly those on the East Coast and the West Bank of Demerara to brace themselves for heavy rains over the next few days. Hinds held an emergency meeting on Friday with a special rainfall drainage and flood watch committee, which is tasked with monitoring the rainfall. Following the meeting, the acting president said residents need to take the necessary measures to secure their property, livelihood and communities. Speaking to the media also was Transport Minister Robeson Benn, who noted that efforts are ongoing to assist the hardest hit communities, most of which are along the East Coast corridor. Benn said efforts are ongoing to improve drainage in the affected areas "We want to reinforce residents that they have to be on alert and careful with respect to flooding that is already there and the increasing threat as we go ahead and relate to our other ministries and agencies to get water off as quickly as possible in this current situation," Benn said. Since December 1, sections of Regions Two, Three, Four and Five have been under water, which already beginning to become a health risk. Meanwhile, the Chief Hydro-meteorological Officer Bhalika Seulall said some parts of the east coast have experienced as much as 20 inches of water accumulation and noted that the rainfall is expected to exceed normal. "There are going to be periods of heavy and intense downpours and in these downpours we could have in excess of 50 to 75 mm of rain in 24 hours We have been experiencing that and the outlook for the season is above normal," Seulall said. During December, rainfall usually records 15 inches but this time around up to 3 feet of water accumulation was evident. The high degree of rainfall placed a significant degree of pressure on drainage structures but, according to Wordsworth, critical drainage works are being undertaken on the outfall channels of several sluices. He reported that water levels in some of the hardest hit communities in Regions Three and Four have receded rapidly as a result of drainage works and the break in heavy rains on Friday. Meanwhile, the health ministry has deployed several teams of medical personnel across the country to deal with possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases. Heavy rainfall and continuous rainfall between December 2004 and January 2005, produced flooding in the capital Georgetown and most of the country's other Regions, and left many people ill and some dead from leptospirosis. Cuba marks Human Rights Day with arrests NEW YORK, USA (Reuters), December 13, 2008: Cuban authorities arrested more than 30 people in the days leading up to International Human Rights Day this week, a New York-based human rights watchdog said Thursday. Human Rights Watch cited press reports and Cuban human rights groups as saying many of those arrested were trying to travel to Havana for marches on December 10, the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "The Cuban government should immediately and unconditionally free the dissidents who have been arbitrarily detained in recent days," Human Rights Watch said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Cuban government, but Havana labels dissidents "mercenaries" in the pay of the United States, which has maintained sanctions against the Communist-run island for more than four decades. Washington openly works with Cuban dissidents. The statement said some of those arrested had since been released and it was not known how many remained in detention. Rights groups say Cuban authorities have in the past briefly held dissidents planning protests. Around 30 family members and supporters of dissidents jailed since 2003 marched through Havana Wednesday to mark the rights day. Another planned protest in the capital was canceled, but it was unclear why. Havana recently signed two UN accords on civil and political rights and the European Union in June voted to lift sanctions imposed on Cuba after the 2003 arrest of 75 dissidents. Around 50 are still in jail. Foreign Minister Felipe Perez said Wednesday Cuba would undergo a review by a UN rights council earlier next year. Regional integration process remains on course, says CARICOM Secretary-General GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA), December 13, 2008: Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr Edwin Carrington announced that despite significant challenges that the region has encountered from both internal and external forces, the regional integration process remains on course with the people of the region at its heart. The Secretary-General while speaking at his annual End-of-Year media briefing via video conference from the CARICOM Secretariat, Liliendaal noted that considerable work has been done during 2008 to advance the integration process and to strengthen the economy of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). He said that he had "a certain measure of pride" with the accomplishments of the Community and cited two key establishments that are now operating; the CARICOM Competition Commission which was inaugurated on January 19, 2008 in Paramaribo, Suriname, where seven Commissioners were sworn in and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) with a start-up fund of US$67M in St. John's Antigua, in July 2008, at the 29th Heads of Government Conference. Economic Advisor to the Secretary-General, Dr Maurice Odle said that so far, some Member States had made requests to access resources from the fund. He disclosed that those requests were being reviewed, and it was projected that mid 2009 would see the disbursement of funds. Carrington said that in spite of some challenges, work was progressing on the development of a Protocol on Contingent Rights linked to the Free Movement of Skills within the CSME arrangement. This, he noted, is one area that the integration process is judged by therefore, it was important to ensure that this dimension of the Single Market worked well. The Secretary-General stated, however, that the issue of contingent right has been posing a challenge and a group has been set up to 'iron' out this issue and will work as a facilitating agent. This year was earmarked for the establishment of the CSME and the Secretary-General said that regional stakeholders were looking at fiscal policy of harmonization which he described as "crucial" to the convergence of regional economies. He disclosed that the Committee of Central Bank Governments was engaged in fine-tuning an approach for monetary cooperation and integration, another critical pillar in building the Single Economy. Further, the Secretary-General added that the CARICOM Investment Code and the CARICOM Financial Services had been drafted and were before the CARICOM Heads of Government for their consideration and approval. "In order to gave concerted expression to the Single Economy and a single development vision, the process continued for a strategic plan for regional development," Carrington said. Addressing the impact of agriculture, he noted that the Region's capacity to develop this sector is vital to its development of the CSME and this is being aided by the "Jagdeo initiative". As the development of tourism continues in the sector it has gained much interest among the CARICOM Heads of Government, the Secretary-General noted. At their 29th Meeting in July 2008, he said that they agreed to a Regional Marketing Plan to prepare a brand that would advance the Regional Tourism package to be viable against a prevailing global economic downturn. The Secretary-General also noted that with the recent signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) the region is currently preparing for its implementation and this process "rests" heavily on the resources of the CARICOM Secretariat. Other matters addressed by the Secretary-General were the global economic recession and how the region can work to "escape its impact", the advancement of the Region's Climate Change Agenda, achievements in the area of Human and Social Development, including the establishment of Universal Compulsory Education for children aged four and efforts for the establishment of the Caribbean Public Health Agency in 2010. Dominican Republic no longer interested in joining CARICOM By Oscar Ramjeet BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, December 13, 2008: The Dominican Republic is no longer interested in becoming a part of CARICOM, according to the country's ambassador to the European Union (EU). The Barbados Nation carried a report from Brussels which quoted a statement from the Dominican Republic Ambassador to the EU, Federico Cuello Camilo, in which he stated that his country has no faith in CARICOM's ability to either address pending agreements or to be the implementing authority for the CARIFORUM/EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) "Nobody wants to belong to an institution where they are not wanted," the Ambassador told journalists. He added, "The CARICOM/Dominican Republic agreement has been on the table since 1998 and the implementation record is abysmal. Quite frankly, we can live very well with the mechanisms we have, and whatever we have can be improved on." Camilo, who also served as Lead Negotiator on Investment and Trade in Services for CARIFORUM (CARICOM plus the Dominican Republic) in the recently concluded EPA negotiations, called the conference to publicly present his country's Statement on Matters Related to Institutional Arrangements. The Statement was tabled at the recently concluded 26th meeting of CARICOM's Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in Guyana. It proposes options for an EPA implementing institution for CARIFORUM as mandated under article 234 of the EPA. The four options suggested by the Dominican Republic were to create a brand new institution or to utilise the already existing CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) as the EPA implementing institution. But as he delivered four options, saying the Dominican Republic was "not married to any of them", Camilo poured cold water on two: that of creating a new institution and that of using the Secretariat. Creating a new institution, he said would cost time, money and resources that none of the countries involved wanted to spend, and the CARICOM Secretariat was just not ready, he concluded.  Caribbean Job Cuts Start Upward Movement CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Dec. 11, 2008: The global economic meltdown has begun impacting jobs across the Caribbean region, with Cable & Wireless becoming the latest company to announce it will be handing out pink slips. C&W, now LIME, on Wednesday said it will cut 1,200 jobs from its Caribbean operations as it begins a restructuring effort. LIME employs around 3,700 workers region-wide and a company spokesman said the 1,200 job cuts will start this month. About 100 Jamaican workers at LIME Jamaica could be dismissed. Two hundred people have already lost their jobs since March of this year at C&W. The job cut news comes as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals announced it will lay off 276 workers in Puerto Rico by year`s end, also due to a company restructuring and a drop in demand for locally manufactured products. These cuts come on the heels of job cuts totaling 800 by the Atlantis Beach resort in the Bahamas and another 200 at the Wyndham Worldwide Corp's Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Rico. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF's managing director, in a prepared speech in Jamaica Wednesday, warned that the `very serious global financial crisis, requires firm and comprehensive action by all our countries as well as close policy coordination between them.` While The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean said in a report issued on Wednesday that the region would be hit by weaker demand for exports, lower migrant remittances and tighter international credit. Belize-Guatemala border dispute to go to ICJ BELMOPAN, Belize, December 10, 2008: Belize and Guatemala have signed a special agreement that will see them taking their border dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for arbitration. "This is to finally put an end, through referral to the International Court of Justice, to all differences that exist between the two countries in respect of their land and insular territories and their maritime areas. It sets out clearly that the final decision of taking the matter to the ICJ will be taken by the people in popular referenda in both countries," a release from the Belize government said. The two countries have been engaged in a longstanding dispute over where the border between them lies and the ICJ will be asked to make a final and binding determination on the land and sea boundaries. Since neither Belize nor Guatemala have given the ICJ mandatory jurisdiction over disputes with other states, the court can only hear the case if they both submit the special agreement, which would set out the scope of the case and the question that the ICJ would be asked to determine. The Belize government, which is seeking to "definitively put an end to Guatemala's unfounded claim and removes any chance of Guatemala raising other claims in the future against Belize's territory", said that based on all its legal advice, its case is "legally very sound". However, reaching resolution will still be a long way away. Once the Special Agreement has been registered with the ICJ, Guatemala, as the claimant, will have 12 months to present its case in writing. Then Belize will have 12 months to respond by presenting its counter arguments in writing. Guatemala will then have another six months to respond to the counter arguments and Belize will once again have the opportunity to submit arguments to counter the Guatemala's case within the following six months. Additionally, the proposed timelines for the presentation by each party may be extended by the ICJ and, if necessary and if both parties agree, the court can also allow each party to make additional pleadings to support their case. CARICOM presses for end to US embargo on Cuba SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, December 10, 2008: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has taken a stand against the United States embargo on Cuba, calling on President-elect Barack Obama to immediately remove the 46-year-old trade blockade. CARICOM Chairman Baldwin Spencer (see pic) made the call as he addressed the third Cuba-CARICOM Summit on Monday and by the time it ended, regional leaders had put their position in writing in a declaration. "(We) call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo of the Republic of Cuba and urge the Government of the United States of America to heed the overwhelming call of the members of the United Nations and to lift with immediate effect the unjust economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against the Republic of Cuba and cease the application of measures adopted as of 6 May 2004 to reinforce that policy," read the leaders' Declaration of Santiago de Cuba. Earlier in the day, Mr Spencer, who is also Antigua's Prime Minister, described the embargo as a relic of the past. "The Caribbean Community hopes that the transformational change which is underway in the United States will finally relegate that measure to history," he said, referring to the election of the first black man to the US presidency. Mr Obama has said that he would lift restrictions on family travel and remittances to Cuba, but maintain the trade embargo which was enacted on February 7, 1962 after the Castro government confiscated the properties of US citizens and corporations. Cuban officials estimate that the blockade has cost the country about US$93 billion in lost revenue since its introduction. Castro receives CARICOM's highest honour President Raul Castro, who officially took over leadership after his ailing older brother, Fidel, stepped down as Cuba's Head of State in February, thanked CARICOM for giving its unfliching support to Cuba and also renewed a commitment to assist member countries in improving health and education for citizens. During the one-day summit which was held on the 36th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the then four independent countries of the Caribbean and Cuba, the 82-year-old former leader received the grouping's top honour - the Honorary Order of the Caribbean Community - becoming the first person from a non-CARICOM member state to do so. Mr Spencer noted that the Order is conferred only on those who have served the Caribbean Community with distinction and whose contribution to the region has been exceptional. "These qualities have been exemplified by our friend and brother, Fidel Castro," the CARICOM Chairman said. The declaration issued at the end of the summit, which renewed a commitment to continued solidarity and friendship, also made a number of other calls, including one for international assistance to help countries like those in the Caribbean fight climate change. CARICOM wants more international help In the Declaration of Santiago de Cuba, they called on developed countries to "contribute new and additional financial resources to implement measures aimed at adaptation to climate change and mitigation of greenhouse gases". They also urged the international community to support, through the establishment of an international financial framework, those countries that managed and preserved their forests in a sustainable way and also to support the inclusion in the post Kyoto agreement incentives for countries with standing rainforests in acknowledgement of their important role in mitigating the effects of climate change. The leaders also emphasised the need to invest in sustainable-renewable energy programmes, and the infrastructure that would advance the objective of sustainable development of resources and contribute to regional energy security. Trinidad and Tobago will host the fourth Cuba-ARICOM Summit in 2011. Caribbean politics grapples with dual citizenship KINGSTON, Jamaica, December 5, 2008: When Jamaica's chief justice disqualified Daryl Vaz from sitting in Parliament last April, it brought into focus the complications surrounding dual citizenship, not only here but throughout the entire English-speaking Caribbean. Vaz, a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was disqualified on the basis that he "voluntarily" renewed his United States passport and used it to travel overseas on numerous occasions. He has appealed the ruling, as lawyers representing the defeated People's National Party's candidate in the 2007 general election, Abe Dabdoub, are urging the Court of Appeal to affirm the decision and declare their client the duly elected legislator. A judgment is expected soon, but Prime Minister Bruce Golding (see pic) has already indicated that he would call fresh general elections if the ruling goes against Vaz, thereby reducing his slim majority in the 60-member legislature to 31. Caribbean countries will no doubt be following the outcome of the Jamaica case closely, since many of their constitutions include a provision disqualifying dual citizens from politics. "The issue of dual citizens and their eligibility for higher office in the Caribbean has been on the agenda most forcefully in the last two years. This issue has surfaced not only in Jamaica, but also in Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana and Grenada," said the Jamaica-based Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), which has just released a study on the matter. "The study was conceived in response to the possible instances of breaching this proscription all over the Caribbean," said Kim Marie Spence, one of the authors. She told IPS that in the various Caribbean islands where the matter has surfaced, it has "became a political and personal issue". "However, CaPRI noted that, with dual citizenships increasing and the Caribbean territories making a great effort to involve their respective diasporas in the development of their homelands, it is an important point of the body politic to discuss," Spence said. The study, titled 'Dual Citizenship and Political Representation in Jamaica', was compiled using a 10-year survey of legislation in Jamaica, along with a sampling of the discussion in the Jamaican media. CaPRI said it found that potential conflicts of loyalty arose less than one of the time, and these conflicts often applied to the minister responsible for the specific policy area under legislation. The study also found that the majority of acts were fairly mundane, dealing with the very-localised sphere of constituency work. "It is the conclusion of CaPRI that it is time to move beyond personal dynamics and realise that this is a national issue. Jamaica is at a global crossroads and it is necessary for us to explore fully the ramifications of dual citizenship," Spence said, adding that CaPRI wants a national debate on the clauses, rather than just a facile statement that the law is the law. She added that the political space for discussions on revising or keeping the relevant clauses is often limited,"especially when majorities are razor-thin, then it is treated as a political power issue, rather than strictly a constitutional issue". Given the different circumstances under which persons become dual citizens - birth, marriage or naturalisation among others - and the high rate of returning residents, the issue needs a decision. Section 40 (2) of the Jamaican Constitution specifies that "No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives who (a) is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign Power or State." Similar clauses are also found in the constitutions of Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia. In Trinidad and Tobago, the issue of dual citizenship surfaced during the last two general elections. Following the 2001 general election, Justice Ivor Archie ruled that the constitutional rights of two junior ministers were not breached by the attempts to unseat them from the House of Representatives after two defeated candidates had brought election petitions asking the court to declare their nominations null and void because they held dual citizenship at the time. However, fresh general elections later that year meant that the court proceedings had become purely academic and the matter has never really been resolved. But the issue re-surfaced in the Nov. 5 general elections last year, when attorney Anan Ramlogan warned voters that "their votes may be wasted" if they supported two opposition candidates, because they had performed a "voluntary" act by applying for British and United States passports, respectively. In the study, CaPRI said it found little empirical support for the hypothesis that an individual who has "pledged allegiance to a foreign power" may offer less than full commitment to either country. "The risk is that, at the margins, the individual in question might make trade-offs that an individual who holds only one citizenship - and thus has no "escape clause" - would not have the option of doing," the group noted. However, the study also found that widening the pool of eligible representatives to include the Diaspora enhances the overall quality of the political process. "We found that this had stronger backing, due to the fact that the majority of our tertiary-educated population -- 85 percent -- emigrates. Trade theory indicates that open economies are more likely to operate at optimal efficiency, leading to aggregate welfare gains. It is fair to assume a similar within the political system, through the effect of widening the pool of suppliers," it said. Spence believes that an examination of both hypotheses was very useful, with the study focusing on the possible trade-off between capacity and commitment. "For example, not all foreigners have capacity. Not all citizens are committed to the country. Widening the eligibility to parliament could enhance the quality of the political process. Many Caribbean nationals emigrate to become better-educated," she said. "We do not want to give the impression that all members of the diaspora would add value just because of living abroad - individual merit is still important." CaPRI said that while an international survey has demonstrated that the global trend appears to be towards more rather than less openness, when it comes to matters of citizenship, many countries, such as Japan, Germany, Iceland, Austria, Peru, Burma and Indonesia, all bar dual citizenship. Its message for Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean: "It is up to Jamaica and Jamaicans to decide which works best for us". (IPS) FBI zeroes in on St Kitts crime BASSETERRE, St Kitts, December 3, 2008: A top Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official has provided the St Kitts and Nevis government with a comprehensive report on crime that Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas (see pic) said will form part of the foundation for a national plan to fight the scourge. This as the country's main opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) said that it already has a strategy to fight rising crime in the twin-island federation. As he announced yesterday that he had received the study of the root causes of the problem of crime, especially gang violence among young people, Prime Minister Douglas the document will be taken to the public for consultation and discussion involving several stakeholders, including political parties. "We will then formulate our national plan to deal with this particular issue," said Dr Douglas, who urged all stakeholders including the church, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and all the political parties to "sit down and discuss what needs to be done to ensure that we can live a safe, decent and better life and those who visit us can also enjoy our country". PM disgusted by murder rate The report, which will be discussed by the Cabinets of the federal governments of St Kitts and Nevis and the Nevis Island Administration today, was submitted a day after two young men were shot dead outside a disco in the early hours of Sunday morning. The deaths brought the number of people killed on the island so far this year to 22, compared to 17 last year. Prime Minister Douglas condemned the murders, saying that he was "absolutely sickened by the violence and the brutality that has infected our society". "I don't want to hear that this is happening in Trinidad and Tobago, I don't want to hear that it is happening in America, I don't want to hear any of that because I know what life used to be like in St Kitts and Nevis, and I want this cancer out. I want an end to this madness that is taking place in this beloved country!" he said on his weekly radio programme 'Ask the PM' yesterday. Meantime, Opposition leader Lindsay Grant told a press conference yesterday that if his party is elected in the next general elections, due here in October next year, it will adopt what he called a comprehensive plan that includes a National Youth Programme and enhancing the crime-fighting capacity of the local police force. He also said that a government under his care will also move aggressively to get guns off the streets. PAM outlines its own crime plan Mr Grant contended that within the first few weeks of a PAM administration, he will introduce a gun amnesty programme: "We would be declaring a period for a gun amnesty, accepting, with no questions asked, guns handed over to the security forces from the underworld." He also suggested that the police force be given a freer hand, suggesting that political interference has undermined its ability to fight crime. "(We should) guarantee a new independence of the police force, free from interference and political pressure. A police force where the best officers get encouraged and promoted based on their abilities and not any suspected political leanings," Mr Grant said. Youth must be targeted He added that a deliberate effort must be made to give the island's youths more hope and suggested the implementation of a National Youth Programme that will include a skills training component. The Opposition leader also said that conflict resolution should be introduced as a subject at school "to teach our children from an early age the power of the mind, and of not resorting to violence to solve conflicts". "We will further develop and strengthen a Ministry of Social Services, whose active mandate will be to ensure that the most vulnerable and most marginalised in our society are given the appropriate attention," he added. The PAM leader insisted that the crime situation in the country was so dire, it deserved a broad-based non-partisan approach and, therefore, invited government to be involved in an earnest debate on the crime challenge and work collectively "to ensure that we don't cede our communities to the criminals".s