Moontown

RICE AND PEAS; CHICKEN PELAU

VEGETABLE CHOWMEIN; CREAMED YAM

GRILLED SNAPPER; FRIED SNAPPER

GRILLED KING FISH; FRIED KING FISH

BAKED PORK; BAKED CHICKEN

FRIED PORK; BBQ SPARERIBS

SEACAT; BBQ PIGTAILS

STEAMED VEGETABLES;

PLAIN GRAVY; PEPPERPOT

COLE SLAW; TOSSED SALAD

Jamaica Gleaner

Grenada’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Bernard Coard, arrives at the Grenada Supreme Court for a resentencing hearing in St George’s in 2006. Coard is one of the 13 prisoners who had previously been sentenced to death for killing the southern Caribbean island’s premier, Maurice Bishop, four Cabinet members, and six supporters in a 1983 coup that triggered a US invasion. The Privy Council, the highest court of appeal for many former British colonies, ruled that the prisoners must be resentenced as previous sentences imposed in 1986 were never legitimate under the law.The following is an exclusive interview with the recently released-from-prison Grenadian politician Bernard Coard by noted Caribbean journalist Raoul Pantin for the Sunday Express.

Coard had initially been sentenced to death for the 1983 killing of former Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and others.

But Coard and his co-accused had their death sentences commuted by the Privy Council before he was freed last week after 26 years in prison.

Question: Tell me, Mr Coard …

Coard: Hey, Raoul! What is this ‘Mister Coard’ business? We go back too far for that. The only ‘Mister Coard’ I know is my father and he died a long time ago … .

Okay, Bernard. How does it feel to be a free man?

I’m elated. Just elated. That’s the bottom line.

And what was life like in prison for all those years?

The first eight years were really brutal. The man in charge of the prison at that time was from Barbados and he was really mentally ill. You didn’t need a psychiatrist to tell you that. He could easily have run one of those concentration camps during World War Two.

And the whole trial was a sham. Initially, we refused to cooperate because there were all sorts of wrong things going on. Many years later, we came across declassified United States documents - an American professor had applied for them under the Freedom of Information Act - and they disclosed that the judge sitting at our trial was meeting with the political officer at the United States embassy in Grenada at the time. So was the director of public prosecutions. We were tortured … .

What kind of torture?

We were sporadically beaten to force us to sign certain statements.

Sometimes, they would wrap a pipe in a wet towel and beat some of the guys on the stomach. I was not one of them. But medical reports produced in court testified to this kind of treatment. Apart from that, in the middle of the trial, there were all kinds of irregularities.

It was well choreographed. At one point, the judge decided that a new panel of jurors should be picked. There were certain rules to be followed in that selection. And we subsequently discovered that at least 11 members of the new panel could not possibly have been on the jury. This was just one of some 200 irregularities that took place.

We refused to cooperate. We chanted them down … then when (Trinidadian lawyer) Karl Hudson-Phillips took over the prosecution, he suggested a different approach to get us to cooperate. But the torture continued.

I was beaten about my head, my neck, I was bleeding from my ears. My injuries were superficial. But a medical report on my condition was three pages long. And in the cells, there were 100-watt bulbs being used on a 24/7 basis.

All the other cells had 60-watt bulbs. There was no sheet for the bed or blankets, there were no toothbrushes, the cells were full of cockroaches. We had no clothes, except the short pants and shirts we were wearing. This went on for eight years.

Eventually, the man from Barbados in charge of the prison had a stroke and he returned to Barbados and subsequently died.

Then a Grenadian took over running the prison and he was the best person. He made it one of the best-run prisons in Grenada, encouraging education and so on.

Did you also face hostility from other prisoners who were sympathetic to Maurice Bishop?

Initially. But this changed very quickly. Callistus Bernard (a former member of the New Jewel Movement who was also imprisoned) has written a book on his experience titled They Can Only Kill Me Once. It’s been published in the United Kingdom but isn’t yet released in the Caribbean.

So what are your immediate plans for the future?

I plan to write my memoirs … .

Tell me, do you feel any remorse over the killing of Maurice Bishop and other members of the NJM?

Oh Lord, yes! I’ve written a paper on this titled Reflections And Apologies. It was issued on February 8, 1997. In it, we apologised unreservedly to the Grenadian people.

A lot of good things happened in the Grenada revolution, the new international airport, people were being better educated. And so on.

But we took moral and political responsibility for what happened. We did so many things that were wrong. And we’ve apologised. We don’t apportion blame. We take collective responsibility for everything that went wrong.

We accept full moral and political responsibility for all of it. And I am still traumatised by it. It’s not just a question of remorse. I’ve written 70 pages on this issue. Ask John ‘Chalkie’ Ventour to e-mail it to you … .

What, really, did lead to the split between you and Maurice Bishop? I believe you were deputy prime minister at that time?

The seeds for what happened on October 19, 1983 (the day Bishop, among others, was killed), were sown by some of the things we did when we took power. People look on it as a ’split’, but there were many, many dimensions involved.

Any such catastrophe must have more than one cause. A lot of media people in the Caribbean have consistently got it all wrong.

And let me say this: you can take this as an exclusive interview because I have the highest respect for you. You are a distinguished journalist of the highest standing and the only reason I am doing this interview is because I have always respected you.

You are the only Caribbean journalist I’m prepared to talk to … .

Well, I appreciate that but back to the question of the split, if that is what it was, that led to the break-up between yourself and Maurice Bishop.

We had taken a decision that there should be joint leadership of the NJM. This was discussed at a congress of the party and it was agreed that there should be joint leadership. But then there was the Cuban influence in which they insisted, based on their own political experience, that there should be a maximum leader.

They sought to introduce that model in the NJM. Bishop, who had contested the idea of joint leadership, said he wanted to give the whole thing some more thought. And despite the fact that it had been agreed on by a congress of the party, we decided to invite the entire membership of the party to discuss it.

So a general membership meeting was convened. And Bishop was told ‘we love you. We can’t do without you’. But we also pointed out his weaknesses. We all felt that joint leadership was the way to go.

It was a mistake. Because life is also about human emotions and feelings. And we failed to take that into account. Bishop initially agreed to the idea of joint leadership. But he went on a short trip abroad and after passing through Cuba on his way home, when he got back he said he had changed his mind.

And there were rumours circulating that that we wanted to kill Maurice Bishop. And like the fools we were, we put him under house arrest. And the whole thing got out of hand … .

Well, that is putting mildly. What subsequently happened amounted to a virtual civil war with murderous consequences.

Not initially. Bishop supporters demonstrated in the streets on October 12 right through to October 19 (1983).

Apart from a couple traffic policemen, there were no policemen or soldiers on the streets during those demonstrations. And anybody who was there will tell you that there was no lawlessness, no destruction of property.

The demonstrations were highly vocal but they were disciplined. And the high command decided not to intervene because we felt that would only make things worse … . The first half of the demonstration for Bishop on October 19 was in the same vein: very vocal but very disciplined.

In the second half, people found out where Bishop was being detained and they stormed the place and took him away. We thought, well now they’ll call a general strike and heighten the protest.

Instead, they headed for the army headquarters, seized the building and began to arm themselves and distribute arms. Even at that stage, we were hoping things would calm down and we wouldn’t have to intervene.

But you did intervene!

When we realised that weapons were being distributed, we sent three armoured cars to recapture the fort. The armoured cars were meant as a show of force. There was no intention to use force.

One eyewitness said when he saw the armoured cars heading for the fort, there were soldiers sitting on top of the vehicles. That would not have been the case if their intent was to engage the demonstrators with arms.

The prosecution at our trial said the intent was to massacre the people. But that was never the intent. It was some of the demonstrators who opened fire on the armoured cars.

The first people to die on that fateful day of October 19 were four soldiers.

Were there any witnesses to this?

(The late Grenadian Journalist) Allister Hughes was at the fort on October 19 and he sat in court during our trial and never said a word. But in his last days, he called in a few close friends, like Leslie Pierre, who swore to this in an affidavit that was presented to the Privy Council.

Hughes told Pierre that the crowd was the first to open fire. And after that happened all hell broke loose.

But what about the execution of Maurice Bishop and Unison Whiteman, among others? Wasn’t that a direct order?

No, no. American soldiers, with hundreds of years of military experience, have run amok in some countries. The British army, with a thousand years of military experience, has done the same thing. We had four and a half years of military experience in Grenada.

What happened was vengeance. It was nothing we ordered. And it can never be justified. It was a moment or revenge. Pure and simple. But everyone of us in the leadership take moral and political responsibility for what happened.

If we hadn’t committed so many errors … we were amateurs, we were arrogant and intolerant and all our mistakes came home to roost … .

I’ve seen it reported that you intend to give up politics. Is that true? Or are you going get back involved in politics?

Are you crazy? Absolutely not.

So what does the future hold in store for you?

I’m not sure yet. I’m going to spend some time catching up on my writing, working on my memoirs.

I understand you plan to move to Jamaica?

Well, I am a Grenadian citizen. But my wife is a Jamaican and she is in very poor health. My son is also up there. My main duty and responsibility now is to her. (He explains that his wife developed colon cancer while she was in prison, had been released because of this and has been receiving chemotherapy treatment, which has affected her liver.)

It very successfully destroyed part of her liver for which she has to be taking a lot of medicine. She is also a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tell me, is Ken Gordon still in charge at the Express?

No, he’s moved on, retired. The new CEO is Terrance Farrell.

Maybe I could become a correspondent for the Express.

A political correspondent?

No, no. no. Perhaps an economics correspondent. I never want to have anything to do with politics for the rest of my life.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya

JOHANNESBURG (AP):South African sports officials met Saturday to decide how best to help a world champion runner whose sex has been questioned - and how to respond to the circus created by alleged leaks from the international track and field body.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which ordered sex tests on women’s world 800-metre champion Caster Semenya, has refused to confirm or deny Australian media reports that the tests show Semenya has both male and female characteristics. The international body says it is reviewing the results and will issue a final decision in November on whether Semenya will be allowed to continue to compete in women’s events.

Semenya won the 800 in Berlin on August 19 by 2.45 seconds in a world-record 1:55.45. Her dramatic improvement in times, muscular build and deep voice had sparked the speculation about her sex, and the IAAF announced the day of the 800m finals that tests had been ordered.

semenya exploited

On Friday, South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile called a news conference to express his horror at the question of the 18-year-old’s sex being debated publicly, and Zuma told reporters the media had exploited Semenya.

In Ga-Masehlong, the village where Semenya was born, and the neighbouring village of Fairlie where she went to high school, there was anger and confusion. Villagers wondered aloud whether what they had heard on TV could be true, and about the emotional toll it could take on a teenager to see headlines declaring she had both male and female sex organs.

“Caster is a woman. I don’t like having to hear people from outside saying otherwise. Here in our village it doesn’t sit well with us,” said 18-year-old Mapula Phano, who went to high school with Semenya. “The stuff they have been saying about her could destroy her confidence.”

ShawThe Government could be forced to come up with a further $1.4 billion to pay the contractor which refurbished Sabina Park for the Cricket World Cup in 2007.

Minister of Finance Audley Shaw on Friday disclosed that the Israeli-owned construction firm Ashtrom Building Systems has claimed the additional money for work it did on the headquarters of cricket in Jamaica.

“That is what I discovered this week,” Shaw claimed at a social function in New Kingston.

matter in arbitration

According to Shaw, the matter is being arbitrated, but Ashtrom has already won the first round of the arbitration.

“And since we have to be engaged in zero-based budgeting, we have to assume the possibility that they could win the entire arbitration process,” he stated.

“If they do, not only do we have to pay US$7.5 million for the remainder of that contract, it will attract an interest cost of two per cent per month from May 2007. When you finish totting that up in Jamaican dollars, the total cost of the legacy of Sabina Park will be an additional $1.4 billion that we are going to have to find to pay that bill,” Shaw revealed.

He said the Government had been told that the cost of refurbishing Sabina Park for the Cricket World Cup was US$17 million (J$1.5 billion).

However, Shaw said Ashtrom has made additional claims, almost doubling the total cost to US$32 million (J$2.9 billion).

Of this amount, US$24.5 million (J$2.2 billion) has been paid, leaving a balance of US$7.5 million (J$700 million).

Shaw said a monthly interest of two per cent has since doubled the figure to about J$1.4 billion.

The finance minister said the unexpected expense while revenue was falling was a major challenge for the Government.

Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner ReporterMORE THAN a year after major security surveys revealed acute deficiencies at the nation’s two international airports, tighter controls have been implemented.

But the airports still have vulnerable areas that need to be addressed.

After the audit - a collaborative effort between the ministries of National Security and Transport and Works - was completed in late August last year, recommendations were sent to the airport operators - MBJ Airports Limited, operators of the Sangster International Airport, and NMIA Airports Limited, operators of the Norman Manley International Airport.

addressing weaknesses

The leader of the audit team, a senior official from the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) who requested anonymity for security reasons, told The Sunday Gleaner that the airport operators were required to formulate a corrective action plan outlining short-, medium- and long-term measures geared at addressing the weaknesses highlighted in the report.

“There have been improvements because we have been working on it,” the JCAA explained.

“A few (of the issues) have been closed out, but several still need to be addressed,” said the team leader, who pointed out that the recent expansion at both airports had created greater security needs.

Since the inspection was conducted last year, the airport operators and the JCAA have “gone through three reviews of the corrective action plan”, and a follow-up audit was conducted last month at the Sangster airport.

new detection system

The lead security inspector revealed that new cameras and a detection system had been installed since the caustic report was submitted.

Tomlin Scarlett, president of the Board of Airline Representatives of Jamaica - the body that represents all airlines and handling companies that operate on the island - also said that there had been improvements but believed there was “still a great deal to be done”.

“It’s not quite at an acceptable standard, but we are trying to work with what we have,” Scarlett said.

still paying fines

He added that airlines were still paying fines for narcotics found on-board flights from Jamaica or among unclaimed baggage. But Scarlett said there had been a reduction in the number of times that drugs had been found on flights from Jamaica.

Lieutenant Commander John McFarlane, director of aviation security at NMIA Airports Limited, told The Sunday Gleaner that security measures at the Norman Manley airport were tougher now.

“We are intent on eliminating the movement of drugs through our airports. By any means necessary, we will continue to hit them where it hurts,” McFarlane said.

He added, “The perimeter fence has been secure; there are no more holes in it and the perimeter is being patrolled more frequently.”

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com

Breaches at KINGSTON

Poor access control …

“Which allowed persons to circumvent and access the airside without being screened through customs and operator’s cargo facilities.”

“Inconsistent screening standards at vehicular and pedestrian access control points.”

Flaw in security screening

“Lack of employer job history verification and security screening, compounded by (a ) lack of positive vetting by the police.”

Cargo facilities and security

“They do not have an approved cargo-security programme … .”

Air link cargo

“Persons were not screened before given access to the ramp. Screening inconsistencies were also seen as staff members were only screened once on arrival at work.”

Breaches at Montego Bay

Terminal Security

There were no security guards on the piers. Airport authorities said none was needed because the areas were covered by surveillance cameras … “But, there are flaws with the CCTV system … effective surveillance is limited.”

In-bond shops

In-bond shops close to departure gates facilitate the movement of contraband … “Operators and staff move contraband to airport locations and at an opportune time move it to their intended location on the airside.”

Night survey

“Inadequate lighting was the major flaw found on the western region of the airside. Approximately five utility poles each fitted with eight lamps were not functioning … .”

Perimeter vulnerable

I Am Jet Centre (private aircraft operator facility)

“The perimeter is very vulnerable. There were holes in the fence, the fence was too low in places and also not anchored in the ground so items could be pushed under … .”

Inadequate screening

Air Jamaica Cargo (Export Centre) - “Inconsistency in security checks carried out to access the airside. Some vehicles were not screened … . Sections of the fencing at the cargo centre had holes.”

Major lapses in security at the island’s two international airports a year ago prompted a government-commissioned report, completed on August 27, 2008. The report obtained by The Sunday Gleaner under the Access to Information Act gives a detailed account of chronic security deficiencies at the Norman Manley and Sangster international airports. It also recommended corrective measures - some of which have already been implemented.

Nation News (Barbados)

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and Security, Captain Randolph Straughan (left), giving some direction to members involved in the welcome-home celebrations for gold medal winner Ryan Brathwaite, including National Sports Council director Erskine King (centre), special events co-ordinator Cranston Browne (second from right) and KOMI’s finance and administration manager Michelle Straughan (right).

by TRACY MOORE

GOVERNMENT WILL CLOSE ALL SCHOOLS early on Thursday as part of World Champion Ryan Brathwaite’s grand homecoming reception and motorcade.

Cranston Browne, special events coordinator in the Prime Minister’s Office, disclosed this to the media yesterday while attending a site visit at Kensington Oval where the official ceremony will culminate after the motorcade.

“The Government, along with community organisations, the 13:14 Gold Committee, and led by the National Sports Council, are involved in planning the homecoming ceremony for Brathwaite on Thursday. He will be given a hero’s welcome starting with a reception at the airport where he would be met by the Minister of Family, Youth and Sports Esther Byer-Suckoo and other dignitaries.

Movie likely

“We are making provisions for the schoolchildren so that schools will be closing approximately at 1 p.m. and we are hoping that Kensington Oval Management Inc. (KOMI) will be able to provide a movie so the schoolchildren can come earlier than 3 p.m.,” he said.

Brathwaite became Barbados’ first athlete to capture an individual gold medal at a major event when he won the 110-metre hurdles final at the International Amateur Athletics Federation’s World Championships in Berlin, Germany, on August 20.

Browne said Government was also asking the private sector to allow employees to leave work early to welcome Brathwaite at the airport and during the motorcade.

“We would like Barbadians to come out in their numbers to greet Ryan at the airport and we will have accommodations for them to actually see him as the motorcade leaves the airport.

“We will have a number of police outriders and they are going to manage the motorcade as it leaves Grantley Adams International Airport. The motorcade will have up to 30 vehicles. We don’t want an ungainly motorcade, so we would want to advise that the number of cars [on the road] would be restricted,” he said.

Browne suggested that people line the route along Highway 7 at points like Rendezvous and Oistins in Christ Church, the Garrison and Bay Street, St Michael. There will also be park-and-ride services from Queen’s College, Weymouth B, and the National Stadium starting at 3:30 p.m., but the Oval will be open to the public from 3 p.m.

When the gold medal hurdler arrives at the Oval he will be greeted by Prime Minister David Thompson and the Cabinet of Barbados. There will be a cultural presentation, steel pan, the Royal Barbados Police Band, performances by Brathwaite’s former schools - Lester Vaughan and Lawrence T Gay - a montage of Ryan through the years and a number of messages from the sporting organisations.

“At the moment everything is in place. We have had approval of all the plans and so, therefore, we are now finalising and tweaking,” he said.

There will also be congratulatory books at several locations by Tuesday, including all post offices and at Cave Shepherd, Broad Street, for the public to sign.

GUYANA’S HONORARY CONSUL in Barbados, Norman Faria, says the South American country wants to help Barbados with any food security issues.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent announcement by Minister of Agriculture Senator Haynesley Benn lamenting the island’s high food import bill, Faria said Guyana was already assisting and would continue to do so.

“Guyana will continue to help Barabdians with any food security problems. We have the land. We have the fruits and vegetables. Let us continue to work together,” he said.

Faria said he read with concern Benn’s disclosure that the bill had been steadily increasing over the years, reaching a whopping US$339.2 million last year. This was a 30 per cent increase over the previous year.

“Guyana shares the concern of the Barbados Government about this and we are pleased that plans are on line to increase domestic production. However, in the interim and even in a long-range scenario, we in Guyana can continue with our assistance in providing good, reasonably priced fruits and vegetables and processed items for the Barbadian consumer.

“As Minister Benn correctly pointed out, there have been increased food prices on the international market and this has impacted locally.

Global food prices

“In response to the opportunities and challenges posed by the rise in global food prices, the whole question of food security in the region should be tackled from a regional approach as our President Jagdeo told delegates at the recent CARICOM Summit in Guyana,” Faria added.

Meanwhile, Faria also praised what he termed the “entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen” of those Barbadians who are going to Guyana and getting involved in food production and joint ventures with Guyanese businesspersons.

He said there were “vast opportunities” in the South American CARICOM nation state for such ventures.

Some of these businesspersons are attending GUY-EXPO 2009, which is similar to BMEX in Barbados. The week-long trade and investment exposition has been brought forward a week and will open on October 1.

Reserving booth space

For more information, including reserving booth space, Barbadians may contact the consulate or the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce in Georgetown.

Faria also referred to the “extensive” contribution of Guyanese contract workers (those on work permits) to Barbados.

“On my visits to plantations and what are called ’small-man operations’, that is, those with four or five acres, you would be hard pressed not to find any Guyanese working there.

“They are doing excellent work in sometimes trying conditions, making a valuable contribution to the Barbados economy and doing their part to make sure that the food import bill doesn’t rise at a greater rate.” (ES)

Nation News (Barbados)

OPPOSITION LEADER MIA MOTTLEY

OPPOSITION LEADER MIA MOTTLEY has announced a mix of junior and senior Barbados Labour Party (BLP) politicians to publicly address issues of national concern.

In a Press release yesterday, the BLP leader said the party would be stepping up its activities and strengthening the BLP’s voice on issues such as the economy, governance, the social sector, physical development and the environment.

She said the appointment of spokespersons in these areas would supplement the work of the existing Shadow Cabinet.

“I have asked Noel Lynch, Indar Weir and Ian Gooding-Edghill to also speak on the economic sectors; Rev. Joseph Atherley and Desmond Sands on governance; Dr Jerome Walcott, Trevor Prescod and Santia Bradshaw on social issues; and Roger Smith and Peter Philips on physical development and the environment.

“More spokespersons will be added in time, but all hands are on deck - we will be stepping up our activities as Barbadians are clearly facing the pressure of the DLP Government’s lack of leadership on the issues that matter,” Mottley said.

The Opposition Leader said the spokespersons would also be using the BLP’s weekly VOB address to raise and discuss issues of national concern to Barbadians.

She said she would be addressing the country each month on radio to articulate the difficulties facing people and seeking to find solutions.

The St Michael North East MP said a lack of access to CBC by the Opposition had prompted her to take counter-measures.

“It is important in a democracy for views other than those of the ruling party to be heard. As a party we are being denied that right by CBC’s post-election editorial policy.

“But we will not allow this to deter us from giving Barbadians a different view, or from articulating, where appropriate, the approach the Barbados Labour Party would bring to solving the myriad problems now faced by the country,” she said.

Mottley said her party would be taking its message on the road directly to Barbadians in a series of outdoor meetings from October entitled Live And Direct.

She said the meetings would give her party the opportunity to interact with people where they live, to inform and educate them on the problems facing Barbados and the solutions required.

Last year, Mottley said former Prime Minister Owen Arthur would not be responsible for any specific shadow portfolio, but would be available to assist with any of them and was committed to speaking on any matter as required “or as he sees fit”. (PR/CG)