Soufriere Hills Volcano

In the past week, residents have been frustrated by the unscheduled interruptions in the power supply, but this cannot be helped said Mr White as the company cannot predict where the faults will happen.

“When you have the ash falling on the power lines followed by the rain, the weight of it shorts out the lines and trips the feeders. It is similar to a fuse blowing,” explained the official. “The problem is also compounded when there are pyroclastic flows (from the Soufriere Hills volcano), which often causes lightning and this also affects the electrical supply system.”

MUL has also been dealing with issues with their generators, one of which is down for scheduled maintenance.

“We have no way of knowing specifically where the problems will arise and to find the actual fault as ash is all over the place,” he added.

Montserrat Utilities Ltd. is the national company, which provides water and electrical service on the island. Since early October there has been an increase in activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano in the southern half of the island. In recent weeks, shifting winds have brought ash from the ash venting into the safe zone.

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez. AFP PHOTO

“When an economy shrinks instead of grows, according to the norms established by international capitalism, then it enters into recession,” he said during a five-hour speech to inaugurate a party congress.

“GDP fell in the third quarter, and so we entered a recession, according to the patterns elaborated in the United States,” he said.

Venezuela’s economy contracted an unexpected 4.5 percent in the third quarter, a second consecutive three-month contraction that most economists’ define as a recession.

Until now, the government avoided using the word.

Chavez says the normal method of measuring a country’s gross domestic product does not sufficiently weigh social services and publicly owned enterprises. He has called for the measurement to be revised in Venezuela.

Chavez has nationalized many of Venezuela’s major industries, along with some food production, telecommunications and electricity.

Many in the private sector say his policies have a chilling effect on manufacturing, which fell by nine percent in the quarter.

Venezuela enjoyed a five-year boom of fast growth fed by soaring oil prices and lavish social spending but it came to an abrupt halt this year when global oil prices crashed. Prices have recovered somewhat but the economy has yet to follow suit.

Aretha Welch awelch@trinidadexpress.com

The Opposition party, the United National Congress, will be preparing a document to hand over to the Commonwealth Secretariat in hopes of painting a ’clear picture’ of what Trinidad and Tobago is really like, says Leader of the Opposition Basdeo Panday.

At a UNC pre-CHOGM seminar, Panday said this year’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which starts on Friday in Port of Spain, does not allow for the Opposition to participate in any way.

At the seminar, Dr Hamza Rafeeq commented on the issue of food security or this country’s actual lack of food security.

Dr Tim Goopeesingh, MP for Caroni East, spoke on the perils of climate change, and the country’s need to treat with it.

Opposition Senator Sharon Ann Gopaul Mc Nicol treated with the issue of women and youth.

And Senator Wade Mark tackled renewable energy and the need to zero in on its importance.

Panday, who is also the MP for Couva North, said his party would be condensing the presentations given, which they saw pertinent to both the well being of this country and the Commonwealth, and passing it onto the Commonwealth Secretariat, in hopes of it being given out to the various country heads who will be in Trinidad and Tobago for the high level meeting.

He said: ’We cannot approach the heads directly, that is not protocol.’

He also said his party would be supporting a trade union call for the citizens to stay at home for two days, (today and tomorrow), and would be closing its office and its headquarters at Rienzi Complex, Couva.(Trinidad Express)

Jensen LaVende

SAILING IN: A Coast Guard vessel patrols as the cruise ship Serenade of the Seas makes its way to the dock at the Port of Port of Spain yesterday. -Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK

Dozens of people gathered at the Waterfront near the Hyatt Regency Trinidad in Port of Spain yesterday to get a glimpse of one of the two cruise ships leased for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) later this week.

The ship Serenade of the Seas cruised into the Port of Port of Spain, just adjacent to the Waterfront, to the welcoming sounds of the our country’s national instrument, the steel pan.

Those aboard the vessel showed off their singing skills as the ship pulled in as they belted out, in sync, ’Ole-Oh-le-Ole-Oh-le-Ole-Oh-le-Ole-Oh-le, feeling hot hot hot’.

One onlooker remarked that although they were behind time, that could not have stopped the jubilant passengers aboard the third Radiance-class ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, which can hold up to 2,100 passengers.

Onlookers snapped pictures with their digital cameras and camera phones as the ship pulled in around 5.45 p.m.

’Daddy, look a big boat,’ one child exclaimed as the Serenade of the Seas pulled in while three Offshore Patrol vessels patrolled the waters.

The ten-storey ship is one of two cruise ships leased by the Government to host the Commonwealth Business Forum this week. (Trinidad Express)

Renuka Singh rsingh@trinidadexpress.com

GREETING: Prakash Ramadhar, Deputy Political Leader of the Congress of the People (COP), bows his head in greeting to a Hindu holy man at the People’s Democracy rally held at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, yesterday.

Motorcades, leaflet distribution and other mobilisation efforts failed to pull the expected crowd at the People’s Democracy mass rally held at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, yesterday.

Though the coalition boasts more than 40 member organisations under its umbrella, the meagre turnout at the rally did not reflect the strength of the groups.

A mid-afternoon downpour did not dim the enthusiasm of the organisers, though.

And at least one union leader promised that the country would heed calls and shut down the country today and tomorrow.

A member of the People’s Democracy said the head count of the crowd was approximately 600, but the actual number looked closer to 300 people.

People crammed under tents erected at Woodford Square to avoid the rains.

Though most heeded the call to wear red, the smaller than expected number all fitted under three tents facing the historic gazebo, where the collection of trade unionists, social and community group representatives was on hand to rouse the gathering into action.

’This is not a political movement, but a social movement to mobilise and ensure action for the citizens,’ said David Abdulah, president of Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN), who also acted as chairman for the event.

Despite the scant turnout, Abdulah said as much as 15 per cent of the population wore red last Friday and Saturday as requested.

’That is as much as 150,000 people. The significance of that many people wearing red will be felt,’ Abdulah predicted.

He also remained confident that the same number of supporters will also heed the call for the two days of rest and reflection on the state of the country.

’Tomorrow (today) and Tuesday, no buses, no maxis, no taxis, no nothing. We will shut down the country,’ Abdulah said to much applause and cheers.

Many of the attendees vowed to stay at home for the two days of ’rest and relaxation’ as requested by the coalition.

’Since TTUTA (Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association) joined the group, I keeping my children home with me tomorrow,’ one mother, who attended the rally with her three young children, said.

’Some people taking it to mean just lime at home, but we really have to spend time thinking about our next step as a people,’ one man who did not wish to be identified said.

On the stage, Abdulah also took the opportunity to explain the ’reality of the situation’ to those factions opposing the People’s Democracy.

’The TTMA (Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association) and the ECA (Employers Consultative Association) attacked us, but we are the real patriots of this country,’ he said.

Abdulah said that letters inviting dialogue with the Prime Minister were dispatched more than one year ago and they were still awaiting a response.

He said the country was no longer prepared to engage the Government in talks.

’No more dialogue. Now is the time for action,’ he shouted.

Prakash Ramadhar, Deputy Political Leader of the Congress of the People (COP), who also wore red to show his support, said the COP was behind the People’s Democracy.

’They are fighting for a lot of the same causes as the COP and those issues are bigger than political parties,’ he said.

Ramadhar said the COP disseminated the rally information to its membership database and requested they lend their support to the five-day effort planned by the People’s Democracy.

’Unfortunately, I have to work so I cannot stay home Monday and Tuesday, but everyone can use their own judgement on the two-day shutdown,’ he said. (Trinidad Express)

Aretha Welch awelch@trinidadexpress.com

A large part of the world’s fate could be settled right here in Port of Spain in the next few days.

Last night while giving his official opening address at the Commonwealth People’s Forum at the Queen’s Hall in Port of Spain, Prime Minister Patrick Manning attested to the colossal challenge he will be taking on as chairman of this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Port of Spain.

CHOGM will be the last opportunity for some of the world’s biggest players to thrash it out before the United Nations-sanctioned global climate change talks begins in Denmark on December 7.

During his speech Manning addressed the now much debated topic of climate change and said: ’Our meeting in a few days is the last major gathering of world leaders before the meeting in Copenhagen, about which there is some pessimism regarding any significant result.’

He was referring to the fact that scientists say current greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by some 80 per cent if the world is not to overheat.

Manning said: ’As chair of this CHOGM, Trinidad and Tobago is working assiduously with other nations, in and out of the Commonwealth, to attain a position that is strong enough to advance the process toward a global agreement on this critical matter affecting all of humanity.’

He said the meeting, which will also include French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the host of the Copenhagen climate summit himself, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen comes at a pivotal time in the world’s history, when decisions are not only shaped by the need to stymie climate change but when it is still reeling from the effects of an economic crisis which almost took the world to the ’precipice of financial ruin’.

Manning said: ’The fact that the UN Secretary General (Ban Ki Moon) …will join us in our deliberations on this issue is an indication of the intensity of our (the Commonwealth’s) efforts.’ (Trinidad Express)