Odlum Denies Being Part Of Alliance - December 4, 2000

December 4, 2000

By Earl Bousquet - PM’s Press Secretary

The death of "Al Capone" Harding and Guyana’s election preparations dominated Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony’s agenda over the past week, while his detractors concentrated on creating political confusion in government ranks and in the ruling Labour party’s camp with allegations of intended defections. But they were dealt a severe blow by a denial by the Foreign Minister of being involved in clandestine efforts to undermine the government and ruling party.

Last Tuesday, immediately following Harding’s death, Home Affairs Minister Velon John announced an independent inquiry into the circumstances of how the Barbadian prisoner escaped and how he died. This followed conflicting accounts as to how he died.

Contrary to police claims that the officer involved had acted legally, some alleged witnesses claimed it was more like a summary execution.

Mr John said the inquiry would be led by an overseas body and that the police and prison authorities would not be involved.

Harding’s lawyer, Martinus Francois, announced he would be carrying out his own investigation into the matter, saying St. Lucians had been bloodthirsty in their feelings about the escaped prisoner.

He blamed statements by the Attorney General for creating an atmosphere for a merciless manhunt of his client and said the police and nation now had "blood on their hands." Mr Francois said he would now be equally "merciless in the pursuit of justice" for his client’s family.

The investigation announced by the Home Affairs Minister and the quick response of the police department to this incident attracted the commendation of many. But due to the persistent nature of accounts different from that offered by the police and the increasing expressions of public concern about how Harding died, the Prime Minister intervened.

On Thursday evening, Dr Anthony issued a public statement in which he ordered that the police investigations be carried out within one week to determine whether there was any need for charges to be laid against the officer involved. In the meantime, the officer was suspended from duty.

The Prime Minister also ordered an immediate review of the issuance of firearms to police officers. He said his government was aware of the public concerns and would leave no stone unturned in arriving at the truth of the matter or Harding’s death at the hands of the police.

In the meantime, he appealed to citizens not to lose confidence in the justice system or the police, as his government was pursuing the needed reforms in both areas that would address the many deep problems affecting the force and the delivery of justice in St. Lucia.

While Harding’s death continued to make the headlines, the Prime Minister last week also held a crucial meeting here with Caricom Secretary General Dr Edwin Carrington on the state of preparations for the upcoming Guyana elections. Dr Carrington indicated the January 17 election date was postponed with the agreement of the parties and the Secretariat later announced it would now most likely be in March 2001.

The Caricom Secretariat also announced that retired President of the Jamaica Court of Appeal Justice Carl Rattray would head Caricom’s observer team for the Guyana poll and that Prime Minister Anthony, who has lead responsibility for Governance and Justice in Caricom, had written President Bharrat jagdeo and Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte on elections issues.

Dr Antony is said to have requested that President Jagdeo meet with the opposition and it was announced in Guyana that Mr Jagdeo had invited the Mr Hoyte and the two other parliamentary opposition leaders to a meeting. But the meeting was postponed from Monday to today (hopefully) at the insistence of Mr Hoyte, who asked for more time "to consult Civil Society."

Mr Carrington also reported to Dr Anthony on the latest political developments in Haiti, where former priest Jean Bertrand Aristide had been elected in the latest Presidential poll. The meeting agreed to await a report from Sir John Compton, who led the Caricom pres4ence in Haiti during the elections. Mr Carrington also met with Sir John before leaving.

While the Prime Minister was tending to Caricom affairs and a host of other pressing national issues, efforts continued in the local press to create a psychological imbalance within his administration and the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP).

On Friday, an un-attributed front page article appeared in the Mirror newspaper claiming that at least six sitting Labour MPs were involved in and supportive of a move by still unidentified political personalities to form an alliance against their own party for the next general elections.

The article offered the impression that Dr Anthony was sitting on a political time bomb and his rejection of the proposal of a government of national unity did not have the full support of six of his 15 fellow MPs. It claimed members of the invisible alliance were involved undercover talks with the un-named SLP MPs and that Prime Minister Anthony "could be in for a surprise sometime soon."

But over the weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister George Odlum -- who was being secretly fingered as being involved in clandestine talks with opposition personalities and whose name was being bandied about by the proponent as a supporter of the moves towards a Government of National unity (GNU) – categorically denied being involved in any such talks.

Mr Odlum told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) he was aware there was a plan to undermine the government through a process of steady criticism of the Prime Minister, but flatly denied he was part of it or that he was involved in any "clandestine" meetings to that effect.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said such moves were doomed to fail.

Meanwhile, the Poverty reduction fund (PRF) conducted the first leg of a two-tiered public consultation at the NIS Cnference Centre last Wednesday, where the feature address was delivered on the Prime Minister’s Behalf by Culture Minister Damian Greaves.

Housing Minister Dr Walter Francois also launched a project to be executed by the Urban development Corporation (UDC) for construction of middle income homes along the Millennium highway.

Prime Minister Anthony, who also addressed the gathering, indicated the government’s aim of constructing 500 homes during its first term will soon be realised.

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