Carnival, Alliance Launched on Same Day - June 4, 2001

by Earl Bousquet

Carnival 2001 was launched -- and so was the National Alliance, as well as the National Minimum Wages Commission, all in the past week. Thousands also received promised tax relief, Public Servants got tax free back pay, the Prime Minister was high in praise of WASCO workers and six million dollars was borrowed to continue paying off WASA’s staggering debt. Prime Minister Kenny D. Anthony was among Windward Islands leaders discussing bananas in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while France signed a million-dollar agreement with the OECS; and one local TV station failed in an attempt to portray the Prime Minister as someone who says one thing and does something else.

                The National Minimum Wages Commission was launched last week, with former President of the Civil Service Association Mr David Demarque as Chairman of the grouping that will seek to ensure the laws regarding payment of adequate wages to workers. The Commission is the latest of several legislative and institutional measures adopted by the Labour Administration in workers’ interest. Among new pro-worker laws enacted since 1997 are the new Trade Union Recognition Act, the Equality in Employment Act, the outlawing of discrimination at the workplace based on sex and the Minimum Wages Act.

                Thousands of workers also got a break from paying Income Tax, as the Prime Minister piloted legislation releasing persons earning $12,000 per year (or $1,000 per month) or less from the tax burden. The government also announced that thousands of Public servants and Teachers received outstanding tax free payments at the end of last month. The tax break for workers was promised in the Prime Minister’s Budget address earlier this year, while the tax break for government employees was promised several months ago, when the Prime Minister indicated back pay would be paid tax free as soon as the economy could afford.

                Government last week secured the support of Parliament to borrow a further $6 million to continue paying off the staggering multi-million-dollar debt inherited by WASCO from WASA. The Prime Minister, in his capacity as Finance Minister, told Parliament he had much praise for the work done by WASCO’s workers during the drought period and the money being paid to release the company from its debt was being done at a time when the new water company was showing and proving the wisdom of its creation. The Prime Minister also reiterated the appeal he had made the night before in an address to the nation in which he urged all to save water, as the John Compton Dam only had 28 days’ worth of water left.

Soon after the parliamentary session, Prime Minister Anthony left the island for neighbouring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he and other Windward Islands Prime Ministers met with European Union and WIBDECO officials to fine tune proposals for new and more efficient funding arrangements for the export of Windward Islands bananas to Europe under the new arrangements agreed to between the United States and the EU at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Prime Ministers agreed to meet again in St. Lucia on June 19, this time to discuss and decide n the future of WIBDECO in the new global banana dispensation.

While the Prime Minister was in St. Vincent, HTS’ Evening News broadcast a new item claiming that while he was calling on the nation to conserve water, he was himself wasting the precious resource at his Official Residence. However, the Government pointed out that the report was totally inaccurate, as the water used to sprinkle the vegetable garden at the Residence was rain water unsuitable for human consumption, stored in an underground tank. It was also pointed out that there is a separate system connected to WASCO for domestic, household purposes, while the underground water was used for irrigation of the garden. Besides, the produce from the kitchen garden was sent to charitable institutions and not used for the Prime Minister’s consumption. The correction notwithstanding, HTS continued to broadcast the erroneous report on both its TV and radio frequencies.

The Prime Minister left the island Sunday for Barbados, where he participated in the popular “Talk Caribbean” regional television talk show broadcast from Bridgetown. During the interview, the St. Lucia Prime Minister called on the major parties in Guyana to de-emphasise race and aim towards a sort of rainbow coalition that would unite the country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julian R. Hunte traveled to Switzerland over the weekend to participate in this week’s review of the commercial and trade policies of St. Lucia and other OECS states that are members of the WTO. The meeting, which is taking place in Geneva, will seek to ensure the islands’ policies are consistent with WTO rules and regulations.

Cable & Wireless last week announced significant cuts in prices for international calls for commercial houses of up to 30% o a fixed line basis for up to three years through its “Corporate Choice” programme. The company also announced that Cablevision, its cable TV system, will now be available in the Mabouya Valley on the East Coast of the island, with connections due to begin today.

St. Lucia and other OECS territories last week announced they will continue to support Japan at the International Whaling Commission in opposing the establishment of a whaling sanctuary in the South Pacific.

France last week also signed a million-dollar agreement with the OECS. The money will be used to promote health sector reform in the various member-states, as well as cultural exchanges, and was welcomed by OECS officials, especially as the assistance comes at a time of difficult financial conditions for the six-island grouping.

The St. Lucia Tourist Board announced last week it was talking to US Air, a major American carrier, abut the possibility of beginning daily flights to and from St. Lucia through Hewanorra International Airport. Should the talks prove fruitful, the carrier would fly direct to St. Lucia from Connecticut, North Carolina and Washington D.C. Tourist Board officials are however optimistic that the talks will prove successful, which will add yet another airline to the list serving St. Lucia since Caribbean Star replaced EC Express as the latest new carrier to the island.

The Tourist Board also offered a strong defense of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival last week, with Director of Tourism Hilary Modeste saying it had been able to survive a decade while Jamaica and Barbados were struggling to preserve theirs and Grenada was taking notes from St. Lucia. Mr Modeste said the Board was proud of the achievements of St. Lucia’s premiere music festival and as not fazed by the criticism that what is produced here every year “is not jazz.”

Carnival was launched last Sunday in Castries, with the National carnival Development Committee (NCDC), the Calypso Association, the Carnival Bands Association and all those associated with its planning offering a glimpse of what’s to come later this month. Carnival is also very much in the air on the local radio stations, with special calypso review programmes and regular updates on carnival preparations. The Tourist Board announced it will be marketing St. Lucia’s carnival in much the same way that it has been marketing the Jazz Festival, opening the way for even more exposure for St. Lucia’s July carnival, which has shown tremendous potential over the past two years as a major annual attraction for St. Lucians abroad and visitors alike.

                But the carnival spirit was not limited to Castries over the weekend. It was a carnival of sorts on Sunday, when the National Alliance launched its third launching ceremony in the southern town. Sir John Compton, who just minutes earlier said the Alliance was out to unite the country and it people, repeated his promise that the Alliance “will rid St. Lucia of this evil” called the St. Lucia Labour Party. The former Prime Minister also revealed the true nature of the Alliance, indicating that “the UWP no longer stands alone; the Alliance is UWP-plus...”

                For his part, Mr George Odlum repeated his declaration that he was “tired of attacking Sir John” all his life, while unleashing what many felt was an attack on women. UWP Leader Dr Morella Joseph, for her part, warned that she would only remain with the Alliance for as long as it stayed away from gutter politics.

                Public reaction to the Alliance launching has been mainly negative, with callers to Monday night’s talk show on RSL commenting on the lack of organisation, the inconsistency in the remarks and statements of the speakers and the fact that no one had a copy of the Declaration of Principles read from the platform.

                Mr Odlum, explaining the choice of colours adopted by the Alliance, said: “The yellow is for the Flambeau, the red is for Labour and the green is for hope” that the Alliance survives.

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