PM challenges Compton :"Hang Your Gloves or Return to the Ring!" - November 21, 2000

By Earl Bousquet

        Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony made it abundantly clear last Sunday that he has no intention of uniting with failed and rejected politicians whose only intention and objective is to replace his government ahead and outside of general elections.

Responding to recent proposals for a Government of National Unity (GNU), Dr Anthony the 50^th anniversary conference of his party last Sunday he had no interest in the formula being recommended by so-far-unnamed politicians and some writers in the press.                      He said that instead of hiding behind mysterious press reports and claiming to represent banana farmers whose misery they caused, such rejected politicians should either bow out of the political arena or face the electorate at general elections.

Said Dr Anthony: “Others have ran their course and their job is ended. They must know when to hang their gloves and walk away,” But, he added, if they do not know when to bow out, “then they must get back in the ring, put back on their gloves and prepare themselves for another drubbing, whenever the bell is rung.”

The Prime Minister’s new Administrative Attache Tennyson Joseph also contributed to the debate this past week with an article published in the major newspapers saying the GNU proposal was based more on “political opportunism” than necessity.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Odlum also spoke on the issue in the past week, saying the debate can take shape “if the people re behind it.” But, he added, “this is not the case at the moment.”

The Prime Minister’s challenge to defeated politicians to know when to hang their gloves came a week after former Prime Minister and UWP Leader Sir John Compton announced his return to combative electoral politics.

Sir John promised banana farmers in the Dennery Valleys that, if elected at the next general elections, he would not pay pensions to current SLP Government Ministers.

Accompanied by former UWP Ministers Ferdinand Henry and Gregory Avril, Sir John told somee farmers at the La Ressource Primary School that it was wrong for 23-year-old Tourism Minister Menissa Rambally to qualify for a pension “after four years in office” while farmers had no pensions to turn to after they turned 60.

Said the former prime minister: “You think that is fair? …But don’t worry. When we get back into power I’ll see to it none of them collect a cent. Let them take me to court if they want!”

Sir John and the other UWP politicians announced they would be canvassing the support of banana farmers every week as of now – a move seen as the clearest indication to date that efforts are under way to develop another plank of the UWP outside of that led by Dr Morella Joseph.

In the meantime, the UWP continued to speak this past week with many tongues and voices. Several responses were made in the name of the opposition party to the Prime Minister’s challenge to the opposition to debate the economy.

Former Deputy Accountant General Zeph Francis, who is now a Deputy Leader of the UWP, UWP General Secretary Stephenson and former UWP Chairman Romanus Lansiquot have all replied for their party.

But it was Lansiquot’s response that made the headlines. He insisted that current UWP Leader Dr Morella Joseph would be an unsuitable candidate for her party’s debating team, as she was not sufficiently equipped for the topic. His choice was either former Prime Minister Sir John Compton or Dr Vaughan Lewis, in that order.

For her part, the official UWP Party Leader did not publicly partake in the debate over who should debate the economy with the Prime Minister. Nor did Opposition Leader Louis George.

In the meantime, San Flood also last week joined the queue of persons wishing to “debate the economy” with the Prime Minister.

The HTS Kweyol announcer admitted that he “didn’t go to university or high school” but said he would need “only two days” to get his facts and he would be ready to take on the Finance Minister.

The March for Justice organised by human rights lawyer Mary Francis was held last Tuesday, but not without its share of controversy. Media reports were that the organisers blamed the presence of a significant number of Rastafarians for a lower-than-expected turnout. But the rastas retorted that the more likely reason was because the march had been hijacked by “politicians”.

Among the lawyers attending were Ms Lorraine Williams, Mr Colin Foster and Mr Martinus Francois, each of whom bore carefully worded placards.

Five days after the march, one of Mr Francois’ most celebrated clients -- an Barbadian convict and escape artist serving time here on several charges, including attempted murder of a policeman -- escaped from the Royal Gaol.

Alfred “Al Capone” Harding – in whose name Mr Francois had won a High Court ruling awarding $25,000 in damages for violation of his human rights after he was chained by prison authorities -- reportedly escaped from the prison in broad daylight last Sunday afternoon.

The prison break by the man considered to be the island’s most dangerous prisoner after leading police in a spectacular rooftop chase across the Castries city centre last year came at a time when prison officers were two weeks into their own protest against Prison Superintendent Victor Pierre.

Mr Francois on Monday blamed the prison officers for Harding’s latest escape, accusing those charged with watching and keeping the prisoner behind bars of allowing him to escape. He charged that the prison officers could have collaborated with his client “to embarrass (the Minister of Home Affairs) Velon John and the Superintendent of Prisons.”

A similar position was adopted by his fellow attorney, Ms Francis, who is also head of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Aid.

HTS’ Sam Flood also on Monday evening broadcast what he said was credible information about how Harding escaped, which also lends weight to the conspiracy theory offered by the two human rights lawyers.

Meanwhile, the Prison Officers Association has sharply denied the allegations of complicity in Harding’s escap. A spokesman said Monday the prison officers were seeking the advice of their lawyers as they were contemplating taking legal action against the accusing human rights lawyers. 

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