Maltreatment of Caribbean people within the region is repugnant
These are nuisances we need to fix
President Jagdeo tells Heads at the opening ceremony
By Delana Isles
PRESIDENT of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, in his first address to Caribbean leaders in his capacity as Chairman of the Caribbean Community, declared last evening that maltreatment of Caribbean people within the region is repugnant.

The Guyanese Head of State was addressing the Heads of Government of member states and special invitees at the official opening of the 30th Meeting of the Heads at the National Cultural Centre, on Mandela and Homestretch Avenue, in Georgetown.

“As I would have said publicly, our countries have our sovereign right to determine our own immigration policies; however, maltreatment of CARICOM citizens is repugnant to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas; not just to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, but to human decency.

“If we treat our people badly, how can we then expect other countries to receive them with respect,” the new Chairman questioned.

He stressed that similarly, the average Caribbean manufacturing company will form its conclusions about regional integration by the ease with which its product can enter the market of another member state.

Further pointing out that if these manufacturers were to encounter problems that cause their products to be accepted in one market, but rejected in another, or face standards that are higher for regional products than for those for extra-regional goods, then regional integration becomes a fiction to them.

“These are the nuisances we need to fix if we are to arrest disenchantment with regional endeavours”, Mr. Jagdeo asserted.

He stated that whatever views there may be on the achievements thus far, “there is no alternative to integration”.

He pointed to the European Union, made up of some 27 countries and 491 million people, and their continued dedication to pursuing higher forms of integration.

“How much more should we, who are much smaller and certainly more disadvantaged, also seek to have greater unity and cooperation?

“In my view, our work will remain incomplete until the day that a child born anywhere in our region opens his or her eyes to a patrimony that sees no boundaries, discriminations and nationalities within our integration in the region.

“We as leaders can set the example for such a glorious day” Mr. Jagdeo insisted.

Meanwhile, addressing the issues engaging the Caribbean Community and the world at large, concerning the financial crisis, the new Chairman stated that the in spite of the numerous set-backs encountered and the present gloomy international landscape, Caribbean people must not forget what the region has been able to achieve.

He insisted that with patient persistence, the region can accomplish much more.

“Going forward, we need to ask ourselves some important questions, the answers to which will determine or create in this 21st century, one: what are the challenges that will define this century, and do we have the regional strategy to take account of the new world in which we live.

“Two: what must be done to take our integration and our cooperation generally to a higher level and make it a more effective vehicle for taking us forward, and three: do our people understand what we are trying to do and are they sufficiently inspired to accompany us on the rest of the journey,” President Jagdeo stated.

He added that as the regional leaders answer these questions, the region must be prepared to define the space which it occupies in today’s and tomorrow’s world, by ensuring that the right polices are in place to fill that space, using the integration process to drive these policies.

However, Mr. Jagdeo acknowledged that in defining this space, the region has to first confront some harsh realities, one such being the region’s limited ability to influence global power structures and relations.

“As a region, we in CARICOM account for less than one fifth of one per cent of global merchandise trade, one tenth of one per cent of world output, and one quarter of one per cent of the global population.

“Since we do not pose a systemic threat to global stability, our collective voice often struggles to muster the barest minimum of attention on the global stage; this being the case, the likelihood of us being heard if we speak as individual voices is much more remote than if it speaks as one”, Mr. Jagdeo said.

He also bemoaned the lack of adequate attention from the international financial community on issues that are important to the region, stating that they are seemingly unwilling to discuss at a senior level issues that affect the future of fifteen countries.

The Chairman stressed the region needs to make some required changes, outlining the miniscule influence the region as a whole has at the global level.

“We must be mindful of reality, harsh though it may be, ... mindful of our space in the global context, we must likewise be attentive in the need for strong regional positions to be articulated and for the collective regional interest to be advocated for strident unison as we engage the rest of the world on global issues” Mr. Jagdeo insisted.

He further stated , that in this regard, countries such as ours simply cannot achieve the transformational prosperity over a sustained period within the global trade and financial architecture relations.

He posited that the progress of the region will continue to be stagnated until there is in place a multi-lateral system that allows greater participation in the decision making process, and until trading arrangements are restructured to respond to the region’s particular needs.

Mr. Jagdeo stated that the global financial crisis has given the region the window of opportunity to restructure this architecture and the region needs to use this opportunity to articulate its position.

He also pointed to the critical need for the region to advance its trade and development agreement with Canada.

“We must never be ashamed to speak out strongly for our own interest....this is natural in the world...we must never feel that we would be seen as backward if we stand up for our interest,” the CARICOM Chairman asserted.

Prime Minister of Belize and outgoing Chairman, the Honourable Dean Oliver Barrow, in remarks, stated that the integration enterprise has been made even more difficult by the global financial economic crisis.

He pointed out that there is one clear reason for the failure of success in combating the dislocation that the global crisis has visited upon the region, that of the failure of the developed world to discharge their responsibility to the Caribbean.

“The song and dance produced by the developed countries regarding the measures necessary to repay the crisis engendered debt to us, does not appear to possess even a dubious measure of sincerity,” Prime Minister Barrow stated.

The Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Ministers, Tillman Thomas and Winston Spencer, respectively, in remarks, both called on the regional heads to reaffirm their countries commitment to CARICOM and the integration movement.

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Edwin Carrington, also issued this call to the Heads, pointing out that over the next three days, the outcome of the debates on the issues confronting the Community must lead to a re-invigoration of the integration process and to a renewal of the commitment to the building of a Community for all.

“To achieve that goal, the debate must lead to a rekindling of the spirit of hope and expectation among the people of the Community and thereby to their re-engagement in the construction of our Community.

“Such an outcome would also send a clear message to the world that a strengthened Caribbean Community is ready to take its place in the post-crisis global arena,” Carrington asserted.

In welcoming the new Chairman, he also paid tribute to the dedicated and insightful leadership of the immediate past Chairman, Belizean Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, for his dedicated and eloquent promotion of the interests of the Community.

The CARICOM Secretary-General further charged the Heads to remember the lofty ambitions as set out in the Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme for the advancement of the integration process 20 years ago.

That Declaration reads: “We, the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, inspired by the spirit of cooperation and solidarity among us, are moved by the need to work expeditiously together to deepen the integration process and strengthen the Caribbean Community in all of its dimensions to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by the changes in the global economy.”

Patterson exhorts Heads to make CARICOM matter
By Vanessa Narine
As he acknowledged that last night would always be a treasured memory, the Most Honourable Percival J. Patterson left the National Cultural Centre after exhorting regional heads to work towards making ‘CARICOM matter.”

Percival J. Patterson with his new medallion

The OCC is the Caribbean Region’s highest award and entitles Patterson the use of the suffix ‘OCC’ behind his name, along with an 18 carat medallion, a miniature version of the CARICOM insignia in the form of a lapel pin, along with several other mementos of appreciation.

After receiving the award from President Bharrat Jagdeo, he said, “As I join previous recipients who have made their indelible stamp on the rich tapestry of the Caribbean, I feel proud and privileged to be considered so deserving.”

The honour given to Patterson was in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the area of the Region’s External Trade Relations and in fostering relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP), especially in its formative years.

About P. J. Patterson
Percival Noel James Patterson, ON, QC, PC, O.E., familiarly known as P.J Patterson, was born on 10 April, 1935, in St. Andrew, Jamaica, and was the longest serving Prime Minister of this CARICOM Member State, serving from 1992- 2006.

His political career was built on a solid base in the legal profession. He studied law and was called to the Bar in England.

On his return home, he became an active member of the People’s National Party (PNP) and began his career in cabinet as Minister of Tourism in 1972, and rose to become the Deputy Prime Minister to Prime Minister Michael Manley in 1989.

In 1992, Patterson was elected by the people of Jamaica as their Prime Minister, and was re-elected three times.

He received his secondary education at Calabar High School and is a product of the University of the West Indies where he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree at the Mona Campus.

He then headed to the London School of Economics, after which he enrolled at the Inns of Court (Middle Temple) where he came in contact with a number of future leaders of the countries of the developing world who were fellow students in England.

While pursuing his Bachelor’s at UWI, he served as Chairman of the university’s External Affairs Commission, where he gained exposure to world leaders and international political thought through attendance at a number of international student fora.

It was also at the university that he developed a commitment to Caribbean regionalism as well as to the causes of the countries of the developing world.

In his address after receiving his award last evening, Patterson stated clearly that, in his youth, his interest in the West Indies was “circumscribed by the then growing fortunes of the West Indian cricket team.”

However, he asserted that by the time of his graduation, he was “incurably infected by the Regional virus” for which it was far too late to seek any cure.

Patterson also affirmed his pride and loyalty to the country of his birth, despite being a regionalist.

“Pride and loyalty to the land of my birth has never deterred me from becoming and remaining an unrepentant regionalist,” he posited.

During his tenure as Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, he provided dynamic and strategic leadership for the Caribbean in the negotiations that led to the Lomé Convention and the Sugar Protocol.

As the President of the ACP/EU Ministerial Council, he led negotiations for the ACP group of countries with the European Community.

As Chairman of the ACP/EEC Ministerial Conference, he played a pivotal role in forging an agreement on the basic framework for the original Lomé Convention, which influenced the outcome of subsequent negotiations that led to the Convention signed in 1975.

He also served as President and Spokesman of the ACP Ministerial Council on a number of occasions.

Patterson excelled on the world stage having contributed to numerous Conventions and Statements in the international arena, including the Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade and the Gozo Statement on Vulnerable Small States.

These have helped to shape north-south relationships and influenced the negotiating position of developing countries.

Patterson played a seminal role in the process that marked the transition from the first steps in integration of the Caribbean region to the founding of CARIFTA and its evolution into CARICOM.

He drew upon his expertise in law and trade to steer the regional body toward the development of a Caribbean jurisprudence through the Caribbean Court of Justice, and a borderless regional economy through the CARICOM Single Market, which came to fruition in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

He is also member of the Global Leadership Foundation, an NGO composed of a number of former statesmen, ex-presidents and prime ministers founded in 2004 by former State President of South Africa and Nobel Prize laureate F.W. de Klerk.

Patterson’s outstanding career as political leader, integrationist, trade unionist and advocate for social reform has been rewarded with several high honours, including the Order of Merit of Jamaica, the United Nations Gold Medal for his advocacy against apartheid, and the Joliot Curie Peace Award of the World Peace Council.

Advice from P. J. Patterson
With the experience of multi-faceted contributions to back his claim, Patterson asserted that regional economical integration is imperative.

“Singing from the same hymn sheet is the only way that any of us can be heard in the global arena,” he said.

He further explained that each country’s self interest demands that “we widen, deepen and strengthen the Caribbean Region.”

He added that building on the foundation of existing mechanisms will determine whether member states “swim safely to shore or drown separately in the Caribbean Sea.”

Patterson highlighted too that even while the cynical views surrounding the integration process have been proven wrong, the assumption must not be made that its perpetuity is inevitable.

He stated too that the CARICOM’s fate lies in the hands of the 15 leaders of the member states on whom the Caribbean people are early waiting for acknowledgement that they will keep the CARICOM boat afloat.

To this end, he acknowledged that obstacles will present themselves as they did in the past.

However, he made clear that the fact that CARICOM managed to endure all this does not guarantee that its continuity was inevitable.

A continuity of the Caribbean Community is dependent on the leaders and the visions they determine for the future.

Patterson urged the leaders to take note of the successes of the past, not a suggestion that all is well, but as an encouragement to improve the quality of life for the people of the Caribbean.

“Mature regionalism will remain a pipe dream unless all authority is vested in a mechanism which is charged with full-time responsibility for ensuring the implementation within a specified time frame of the critical decisions taken by heads and other designated programmes of the community,” he asserted.

He maintained that the collapse or disintegration of CARICOM is not an acceptable option.

Patterson said, “The community will lose its way unless the CARICOM heads serve as trustees to improve the lives of the Caribbean people and make CARICOM matter.”

He added that CARICOM is like a tree that must be nurtured, and expressed the pleasure that will be his when he “retires to the pavilion to lead the applause” for the success of long outstanding agreements made by CARICOM.

Among these are the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), freedom of movement of CARICOM citizens, and the mandate for the Caribbean Court of Justice to do all the work it was established to do.

“The Caribbean Community is at liberty to call on each and all of us to give our experience or share our expertise in any way that will serve to move our fellow citizens on the path of economical progress and social mobility,” he posited.

In the end, as CARICOM honoured P. J. Patterson with awards for the achievements he made in his life the community, heads were given much more in terms of advice and words of experience on moving an integrated Caribbean Region forward.

‘Blondie’ freed of Palm Court murder on no-case submissions
Judge asks that 3 Cops be charged with perjury
By George Barclay
JUSTICE William Ramlal yesterday accepted no-case submissions in the Ashanti Schultz, called “Blondie”, murder trial on the g round of the suppression of evidence by police investigators at the Preliminary Inquiry.

‘Blondie’ walks free yesterday

But instead of presenting the Analyst report to the magistrate at the Preliminary Inquiry, Lance Corporal Kennard Thompson who had collected the report from the Analyst, hid same in his desk and misled the magistrate by telling her that he had not yet received the results from the analyst.

The existence of the report was only made known to the defence lawyer Mr. Nigel Hughes, by State prosecutor Ganesh Hira, last Monday. Hira had only seen it on that day.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Hughes the L/cpl Thompson admitted that he had misled the magistrate and claimed that he had no reason for so doing.

Hughes also questioned another witness who said that he had interviewed four witnesses who had given statements to the police claiming that they had seen a woman named Felicia Sheriff shoot Kenrick Nero.

Hughes, in association with lawyer Mark Waldron for the accused, Ashanti Schultz alias “Blondie”, who is on trial for the Palm Court, Main Street, murder of Kenrick Nero on September 16, 2007, yesterday accused the Police investigative ranks, officials of the analyst Department and the prosecution for suppressing evidence at the P.I. that was in favour of the accused “Blondie”.

The furore came after prosecutor Ganesh Hira submitted an analyst report showing that a swab taken from the hands of the accused “Blondie” shortly after the shooting for possibly gun shots residue had proved negative.

Hughes, who was cross-examining Officer Ludorick Scotland of Brickdam Police Station at the time enquired from the witness why the negative swab result was not tendered at the preliminary hearing.

Scotland said that although he was the head of the investigations, he had not seen the report until at this trial.

Scotland further admitted that there were two versions in relation to the shooting to death of Nero. Ashanti was one suspect and a woman named Felecia Sheriff was another suspect, also accused of shooting Nero.

Scotland admitted that Sheriff was also in custody after four eye witnesses had given evidence to the effect that she was seen firing off a gun when Nero was allegedly shot.

The witness who was put forward by the State for cross-examination said Sheriff was never charged and he did not know how she arrived at the police Station.

But in answer to further questions, witness Scotland admitted telling the magistrate at the P.I. that the only reason Felecia Sheriff was not charged was because of directions.

It was after this admission that lawyer Hughes submitted to Scotland that the Police personnel in this matter in conjunction with members of the prosecution at the Preliminary Inquiry had suppressed evidence which had shown that the accused who was a suspect was not involved in the shooting.

When asked why as Chief Investigator he did not hold a confrontation with the 4 witnesses and the suspect, Felicia Sheriff Scotland answered, “ I have always been advised that a confrontation is not a legal requirement.”

On the resumption on Wednesday, Sgt. Eon Jackson was deemed an expert in identification of firearms but the judge ruled that the Sgt., could not operate as a ballistics expert.

Jackson, who admitted that he was not a ballistics expert , said that as a firearm identification expert, he was shown three .32 spent shells and a Taurus pistol at his department. When compared, he found that the spent shells were not related to the Taurus gun. No bullets were presented to him, he said.

After Mr. Hughes had made his submissions in relation to the suppression of evidence and urged the court to find that the prosecution had failed to make out a prima facie case against his client, Prosecutor Hira conceded that in view of the might of the defence submissions, it was difficult to rebut the submissions by Mr. Hughes.

After directing the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of the accused, the judge was critical of the prosecution at the stage of the preliminary inquiry.

The judge discharged the accused and recommended to the authorities, that P.C. 18079 Kenton De Yong, Const. Ludorick Scotland and L/cpl Alton Sauers , be charged with Perjury.