PM Continues Justice & Governance Missions -- Now, Martinus targets the Family Court - January 22, 2001

by Earl Bousquet

  Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony this past week had a busy overseas schedule as he attended to Caricom concerns regarding Justice and Governance in Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana and attended an important summit meeting in Jamaica. It was also a week during which Communications, Works, Transport & Public Utilities Minister Senator Calixte George presented the findings of the Lucelec Review Commission to the local press and Foreign Affairs Minister George Odlum disclosed that OECS Governments were collectively interested in establishing and deepening relations with Libya.

                The Prime Minister had traveled to Trinidad & Tobago at the invitation of his colleague Prime Minister, Mr Basdeo Panday. It was a fact-finding mission, during which Dr Anthony held discussions with the various parties to the dispute, including Mr Panday and President ANR Robinson.

                Dr Anthony reported to his colleague heads of government in Jamaica and they agreed to offer Caricom’s assistance in resolving the issue. However, the Caricom leaders also urged that the Trinidad & Tobago Constitution be followed in all efforts to resolve the matter of the President’s refusal to take the advice of the Prime Minister and appoint the latter’s choice as Senators and Cabinet ministers.

                In the case of Guyana, Prime Minister Anthony was this past week updated by the Caricom Secretariat on matters pertaining to the ongoing march towards a general election in the largest member-state of the Caribbean Community.

                High Court Judge Justice Claudette Singh delivered a judgement in the 1997 Guyana election petition filed by the Opposition People’s National Congress (PNC) that offered cause for satisfaction on the part of both of the major parties, the PNC and the PPP/Civic. Since it was one of those judgements that pleased both sides, it was left for the judge to deliver a Consequential Order that would offer directions as to what should happen next as a result of her judgement.

                Dr Anthony has understandably decided not to comment on the judgement until he has read it. But Justice Singh was yesterday expected to deliver her Order.

The parliamentary parties, Civil Society and Caricom are expected to continue discussing where the country goes after that judgement is delivered.

In the meantime, Caricom Chairman Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur was quoted in the press at the weekend as saying he was of the view that the situation in Guyana “will resolve itself.”

                The Prime Minister’s third regional engagement this past week was in Jamaica, where he and his regional colleagues attended the rescheduled Canada-Caricom Summit with Prime Minister Jean Chretien. No details have yet been made available about the summit, but the word is that several issues of mutual interest were discussed that will be addressed by both sides during the next year.

The concerns raised by Caricom leaders with their Canadian counterpart included a plea by host Prime Minister Percival Patterson of Jamaica for a redressing of the growing imbalance in trade between Canada and Caricom, especially in light of the lessening benefits for the Caribbean from the Caribcan Agreement.

                At home, the Public Utilities Minister called a press conference a week ago yesterday at which he released the Executive Summary of the three-volume Report and the list of Conclusions and Recommendations from the Lucelec Review Commission. Senator George made it clear the government did not agree with all of the conclusions and recommendations and had established a committee to determine implementation.

                The Minister pointed out that one major step had already been taken towards implementation of the report. He recalled that a few weeks earlier, the Prime Minister had secured an important concessionary agreement with Hess Oil (St. Lucia Ltd) to lower the price per barrel of oil sold to LUCELEC by one US dollar. This was done at a time when the government was also about to enter into negotiations with Hess for a renewal of its Agreement and it was hoped Lucelec would pas the benefits onto consumers.

The minister said government still intends to fulfil its promise to ease the burdens and address the concerns of electricity consumers and it continues to be concerned about the company’s exclusive 80-year license. He also indicated government intended to revisit the legislation governing the company’s operations in St. Lucia and its present thinking was not disposed to ensuring Lucelec’s continuing exclusivity.

                Still on the home front, Foreign Affairs Minister George Odlum this past week joined the regional discussion on relations with Libya.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Pierre Charles had just returned from his first official visit to Tripoli to follow-up on development aid projects initiated by his predecessor. Conservative former Prime Minister Eugenia Charles, whose Dominica Freedom Party shares a coalition government with Mr Charles’ Dominica Labour Party (DLP), urged caution in deepening relations with the Arab/African state. The Americans also expressed their concern to the new Prime Minister, who reminded them that his was a sovereign country with urgent need for development aid.

Mr Odlum supported Dominica’s close relationship with Libya, explaining it was happening at a time when the neighbouring country needed much aid to shore-up its defenses against the dwindling earnings from bananas. He said it was not only Dominica, but the OECS grouping that was pursuing relations with Libya, on the basis of a collective decision. The minister pointed out that Grenada already has relations with Libya and other OECS states, including St. Lucia, would be moving soon to strengthen or formalize existing ties with the rich oil-producing state in the face of dwindling international aid from traditional sources.

St. Lucia does not have diplomatic relations with Libya. However, the Foreign Affairs Minister has maintained traditional political ties with that country. A few months ago he visited Tripoli as part of a delegation led by the late Dominica Prime Minister, his lifelong personal friend and political ally.

In an interesting development this past week, the St. Lucia Hotels & Tourism Association (SLHTA) announced its member-hotels would be issuing “no go” advisories to visitors, urging them to refrain from visiting certain parts of the country or places where their security might be considered at risk.

However, the St. Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) disagreed with this measure, with Director of Tourism Hilary Modeste pointing out it was an “unfortunate” development. He disclosed there had been no discussion or consultation with the Tourist Board on the issue.

It was Mr Modeste’s view that such advisories were negative and ought only to be a last resort. He said it would not contribute to the Board’s continuing efforts to sell the country as a safe destination for all visitors. [Remember the heat Home Affairs Minister Velon John got for suggesting a murdered Canadian visitor was in the wrong place?]

In the continuing saga of Martinus Francois vs The Press, the controversial human rights lawyer maintained his denial that he ever beat his wife. The two appeared holding hands on TV one evening last week, but the very next day Mr Francois accused his wife in a Radio St. Lucia interview of being vindictive and vengeful. He suggested she could have gone to The Star with the accusations because he’d told her the marriage was over and he’d be sending her back to her native New Zealand.

Mr Francois’ wife said they had agreed to patch up and he had agreed to take counseling. But the very next day, he said he’d filed separate suits against HTS, DBS, The Star, Rick Wayne and Sam Flood, collectively claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars from each media house and respondent.

The million-dollar human rights lawyer also announced this past week what his next major project will be: he now intends to take some form of action against the Family Court. He told reporters there were some “archaic” laws at the court that “discriminate against men.”

The litigant lawyer didn’t specify which law or whether he was referring to his own case. But he said the particular law allows a wife to take a complaint against her husband to the Family Court, where it would be addressed and ruled on in his absence, resulting in restraints being imposed on the man in his own home without having had a chance to respond to the allegation before the court.

Mr Francois didn’t say whether he would sue the Family Court or for how much, but if recent history is anything to go by, should he sue it would very likely be for half-a-million dollars.

                Meanwhile, HTS’ Sam “Jook Bwa” Flood remained on indefinite suspension this past week, with his employers announcing he had also decided to take his leave. The suggestion is that the loquacious one may have some time still to figure out his legal defense -- and possible sources of compensation, should the complaining human rights plaintiff secure a victory in the suit filed against him.

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