Moontown

Hamilton

The Micro, Small and Medium-size Enterprise Alliance is welcoming the impending government policy to award more public contracts to the sector, but its president, Dr Rosalea Hamilton, is bemoaning what she calls the long delay in implementing the initiative.

In 2009, the Cabinet approved a submission for 15 per cent of all government contracts to be awarded to medium and small enterprises and, on Friday, the finance ministry issued a release saying medium and small enterprises would soon be better able to access government contracts.

“We are quite disappointed that the policy has not been effective for over a year, because it in fact could have provided a lifeline for many businesses which have failed over this recession,” Hamilton told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre, yesterday.

She said judging from the general consumption tax returns filed, micro, small and medium-size businesses had declined by 50 per cent. Hamilton said this has been confirmed by the assessments of the alliance itself.

“The firms urgently need assistance, and this is why we are really very disappointed (that the policy has been delayed),” she reiterated.

Training critical

According to the finance ministry, the Inter-American Development Bank is providing funding and technical assistance for the new policy, and Hamilton says it is critical that training be provided for small-business operators to ensure that they meet the required standards for government projects.

In the meantime, a team is now surveying small-business operators who have bid for government contracts to determine the changes which need to be made to the system.

Now in its third week, the survey has so far revealed the challenges being experienced by small businesses to claim a share of the public sector procurement market. It has also shown that the business operators need further training to enable them to understand the procurement process. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Simpson Miller

Golding

Henry-Wilson

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TWO YEARS ago, Maxine Henry-Wilson asked members of the House of Representatives to determine whether they are delegates or leaders. The opposition backbencher argued then that even though the members of the lower House are elected by the people, they have a responsibility to bring leadership to the legislature and not merely be an echo of the view of constituents.

If there was ever a time that such leadership was required in the House it was last week, when Prime Minister Bruce Golding attempted to win the support of members for another extension of the state of emergency.

The resolution brought by Golding aimed to further suspend the fundamental rights and freedoms of persons living in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine. The suspension of these rights was an issue to which Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller spoke, but it rang hallow, and with good reason, too. Neither party in Parliament has made the protection of human rights a number one priority.

Charter of rights

The Gavel draws your attention to the Charter of Rights. This bill, which has been in the making for years, is righting the wrong in our Constitution which currently does not guarantee citizens their basic inalienable rights. Last parliamentary year, the Government debated the bill and then promised to compromise on some areas with the Opposition in order for the Charter to get the bipartisan support needed for its passage. It seems that no compromise has been hammered out as the bill fell off the Order Paper and has not been reintroduced.

But in this wanton show of hypocrisy, both parties have told Parliament how much respect they have for the rights of the Jamaican people - rights they have not found it possible to guarantee through the Charter of Rights - and that they are committed to defending those rights. We believe, whether as a symbolic step or a demonstration of good leadership, the Parliament must seek to pass the Charter of Rights before it can seek to take away from the citizen the unprotected bit that we now enjoy.

We are under no illusion that Tuesday’s show was about national security or justice. From what we saw, it was clearly a political event. One could hardly miss the sotto voce remarks from members of the Government about who should be held responsible if the state of emergency was not extended and the crime figures increased. The idea was to force the Opposition’s hand and hope its members would resist the state of emergency. If that were not the case, Golding’s presentation to the House would not have been so shallow, and he would have avoided putting a political face to crime fighting. The Government side was clearly in on the plan, hence its dismissive reaction to a suggestion for Leader of Opposition Business Derrick Kellier for compromise talk. “Pressure!” some government members shouted.

The Opposition, too, was attempting ‘a castle’ on the political chess board. It, too, abandoned the position that it was unconstitutional to extend the state of emergency and was offering up a compromise, we note that the leader of the opposition was missing from the compromise talks. Even as a symbolic gesture, one would have hoped that Simpson Miller would have locked herself away with Henry-Wilson, Fitz Jackson, Peter Bunting, Golding, Andrew Holness and the few others who deliberated on the tie-breaker, which never came.

No moral ground won

The Gavel, meanwhile, has deliberated on Tuesday’s saga and is firm in its view that neither the Opposition nor the Government has won any moral high ground out of this event. Time and utterances have begun to show that the Government did not want to keep the state of emergency in place. If it did, Prime Minister Golding would have seized the opportunity to ask the governor general to declare a new one. The parliamentary show was just an excellent opportunity for political gamesmanship and Golding, being a master at the craft, scored an ‘A’.

There is no doubt that the Parliamentary Opposition failed miserably to demonstrate leadership on the day. It tried hard to compro-mise rights while at the same time offering a compromise even on its principled position not to vote for an extension of the state of emergency which, it argued, would have been unconstitutional. All its members abstained from the vote instead of voting against the resolution.

That is how delegates behave. Leaders are made of tough steel, not the copper cable that now lines the Opposition. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Email thegavel@glenaerjm.com.

By Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress.com

TWO elections in just over two months, that is what Trinidadians will experience today.

Just under one million eligible voters will get the opportunity to elect a councillor for their area during today’s local government election.

Today’s election comes on the heels of the general election on May 24.

The electorate for the local government election is “slightly less than one million” as opposed to 1,040,011 electors for the May general election, Norbert Masson, chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), said last night.

People comprising the electorate of Tobago are not involved in local government elections in Trinidad.

They vote in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections.

“Simply phenomenal,” was how Masson described the occurrence of the two elections in such a short space of time.

“To the best of my knowledge, Trinidad and Tobago has never before had parliamentary and local government elections in the same year. And to have the latter within such a short space of time of the other is simply phenomenal,” Masson said.

There are 14 municipalities comprising two cities, three boroughs and nine regional corporations up for grabs today.

There are 134 electoral districts in all and a councillor has to be elected for each district.

The last time a local government election was held in the country was seven years ago

The People’s National Movement (PNM) won by a landslide victory in the 2003 local government election, capturing nine of the 14 municipalities.

This time around, the People’s Partnership hopes to turn the results in its favour, following the defeat of the PNM at the May 24 general election.

The People’s Partnership won 29 of the 41 seats in the general election.

UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the country’s first woman Prime Minister, and Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, the COP political leader, are leading the charge for the People’s Partnership today.

The PNM is trying to rebrand itself.

The party is entering an election with a new political leader for the first time in 23 years.

Former prime minister Patrick Manning stepped down as the party’s political leader after the May 24 defeat.

The PNM is entering the local government election under new leadership in the form of Dr Keith Rowley.

Statistics indicate that a large voter turnout is not expected in today’s election.

“The records of the EBC show that traditionally there has been a considerably lower voter turnout for local government elections than for those at parliamentary level,” Masson said.

At the 2003 local government election only 38 per cent of the electorate voted, and in 1999 the figure was 39 per cent, according to EBC figures, Masson said.

Some 70 per cent of the electorate voted during the May 24 general election.

“What is responsible for this wide disparity? Is it because the system of local government is perceived as a servile partner of an over-centralised and monolithic system of government,” Masson said.

For the EBC, however, “the local government elections constitute a larger enterprise than their Parliamentary counterpart”, Masson said.

The EBC is ready for the job at hand, according to Masson.

Voting starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

There are almost 11,000 poll-day staff to man the 2,013 polling stations, Masson said.

Masson urged the electorate to come out and vote.

“The opportunity presented to you (today) as an elector gives you the power and authority to influence in a very direct way development of your community and by extension the country,” Masson said.

Supporters of political parties cannot assemble within 91 metres of a polling station.

“Let us behave in a civilised manner with respect and courtesy to all,” Masson said. (Trinidad Express)

HAVANA – It would be easy for Raul Castro to make headlines in a major Revolution Day speech today.

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Fidel Castro (left) and brother Raul Castro.()

HAVANA – It would be easy for Raul Castro to make headlines in a major Revolution Day speech today. All he has to do is bring up the 52 political prisoners he has agreed to release, or discuss plans to open the island’s communist economy.

Of course, nothing Cuba’s 79-year-old president says will mean as much as whether elder brother Fidel is standing by his side. A recent spate of appearances by the revolutionary leader after four years of near-total seclusion has got everybody talking. Could this be Fidel’s coming out party?

“If Fidel is there it will cause a huge stir. It will be very important,” said Wayne Smith, a former top American diplomat in Havana and senior fellow at the Washington-based Centre for International Policy.

He said the elder Castro brother’s presence would make clear to many in Washington that the 83-year old revolutionary still has a strong hand in affairs of state. (AP)

A DAY OF SPECTACULAR entertainment at Bushy Park, St Philip, ended yesterday in confusion and controversy with hundreds of people jeering the winner of the Sweet Soca competition, TC.

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Party Monarch winner Blood (left), and Mr Dale (partially hidden) consoling TC after she was loudly booed by the crowd.()

By: Wade Gibbons

A DAY OF SPECTACULAR entertainment at Bushy Park, St Philip, ended yesterday in confusion and controversy with hundreds of people jeering the winner of the Sweet Soca competition, TC.

The crowd booed vociferously as soon as emcee Mac Fingall indicated that De Big Show’s TC had repeated last year’s win as Sweet Soca monarch. Earlier, she had turned in a sizzling rendition of Down De Road and appeared a clear winner, copping 450 points. Headliners’ Mikey [440.5] took second position while his tentmate Mr Dale finished third [433]. TC also took home $10 000.

Blood set the stage ablaze with Foot On Fire, copping 444 points and deservedly taking the Party Monarch title. Edwin with Chrissening [429] and Soca Kartel (Blood and Mikey) with Whole Place Mash Up tied for second.

Unlike the earlier derisive reaction to which a tearful TC was subjected, the crowd screamed their approval at Blood’s victory.

The Battle Royale clash, slated to take place between Blood and TC for a car valued at $89 000 never materialised as TC declined to perform. That decision automatically gifted the vehicle to Blood. He also won $22 000 for his Party Monarch victory.

‘Foolishness’

Confusion reigned backstage with some performers describing the Battle Royale as “foolishness”, tantamount to one of the titlists being dethroned ten minutes after winning a crown.

Some officials of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) tried unsuccessfully to convince TC to take part in the clash. Her management indicated that a statement would be issued today.

Blood later invited her to join him on stage for a victory performance, and along with a number of those who had earlier competed, they performed his winning song before the waving, screaming crowd.

The fans, estimated at about 15 000 by the NCF, were generally on their best behaviour with police reporting only one man being arrested for using insulting language.

Senior Superintendent Graham Archer said 130 police officers were deployed at Bushy Park. A contingent from the Barbados Defence Force was also present, along with private security.

Minister of Culture Steve Blackett told the DAILY NATION he was generally satisfied with the day’s proceedings.

He said at the start of the Crop-Over season that he had paid a site visit to Bushy Park and thought then that it would have been a wonderful venue. He was not disappointed, and said the site would be considered in the future for the event.

Noting it could cater to more people than the previous locations at East Coast, St Andrew and Farley Hill, St Peter, Blackett said a number of people had expressed their satisfaction with the new location.

Several residents in the Bushy Park area gave the thumbs-up for the staging of the event in their community. (Nation News)

BARBADOS is in the midst of a battle of the mind.

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Acting Prime Minister Freundel Stuart: Barbados in the midst of a mind game.()

BARBADOS is in the midst of a battle of the mind.

Acting Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said the public had to safeguard itself against detractors whose purpose was to poison their minds.

“Since the battle is for your minds, people will come with all sorts of stories to try to destabilise your abilities in the hope they can destabilise your Government; prove the people of Barbados were wrong in January 2008 and try to get power back so they can continue the maladministration to which this country was subjected between 1994 and 2008,” he said.

Stuart was addressing the inaugural luncheon and awards ceremony of the Christ Church West branch of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) yesterday at Almond Bay, Hastings, Christ Church.

Stuart said the major thrust of this attempted destabilisation was concerning the economic crisis.

“If it is raining, it is not breaking news to say the road surfaces are wet. If a cane field is burning, it is not breaking news to say ash is flying around. If the world is going through the worst recession in 100 years, it is not breaking news to say there is economic stagnation because what recession means is precisely that.

“So all the talk about the country about to collapse and all the dismal prophecies of gloom and doom and all of the dingy attempts to spread alarm and despondency across Barbados, are foredoomed to failure because the character and the moral strength and the insight and foresight of Barbadians will see that we get through this recession successfully,” he said.

Stuart said there were certain “political poseurs” who were saying Government was to somehow find a way to turn around the dwindling number of visitors flying in from Britain.

“The economy of Britain is going through its worst recession since the 1930’s . . . The people who are coming as tourists have to be [willing and] able to spend and travel but even if we say our tourism product targets the higher end of the British market, it does not mean they would be willing to travel and that is where our marketing has to come in but that does not mean you can force anybody to come here,” he said, adding it all depended on the restoration of the British economy.

Stuart then urged the audience and the public not to be “hoodwinked” by those who practised double-speak or to be side-tracked by empty talk. (CA) (Nation News)

It feels just like the ‘good old days’ of the East Coast Soca Bowl today at the Soca Royale contest at Bushy Park.

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It feels just like the ‘good old days’ of the East Coast Soca Bowl today at the Soca Royale contest at Bushy Park.

The tents are back, dotting the hills above the racing track.

Edwin Yearwood is also back, after a five year hiatus from the contest he “chrissened” back in 1995.

And of course, he and Li’l Rick continued their years-old rivalry of elaborate presentations, arriving in a helicopter and a box suspended from a giant crane respectively.

As if enlivened by each other’s presence and their proximity right next to each other in the line up, the two kings of the party went all out with the theatrics for their performances.

Li’l Rick took some jabs at his former associates at Starcom Network, with an opening skit that parodied certain managers at the station and the whole decision to terminate his contract and popular Saturday show. He also threw some competitive picong into his tune Carry On, which the crowd loved. However, it may not have been enough to mask the fact that Carry On is far from the strongest song he’s ever brought to the big stage.

Edwin’s dramatic arrival in a helicopter was vintage East Coast Edwin as patrons peered all about, wondering where he would be coming from. His departure was just as dramatic - exiting in a rally car that whirled in donuts and got more screams from the crowd than he during the whole course of his fairly popular tune ‘Chrissening’.

Despite their best efforts though, both Edwin and Li’l Rick may be hard pressed to beat Blood’s party starter Foot on Fire which had the whole crowd joyously hopping and literally shaking a leg to its infectious beat. Out of all of the ten performances, this one had the most spontaneous response and should have scooped up its full quota of points for the crowd response category.

In fact, Blood may be hard pressed to beat even himself considering that he also entered the competition with Mikey under the Soca Kartel banner, singing Whole Place Mash Up.

Newcomers Queen T and Popsicle did well with very different presentations for their respective songs Eric Jerome Dickey and Wiggle and Dip. Queen T was energetic and lively with straight up dancing and tremendous wiggling and dipping while Popsicle got laughs with a simple but hilarious skit that saw him berating his girl Simone, who was glued to the work of famous novelist.

TC did not defend with nearly as much vigour in the second half as she did in the first and barely got any response at all for her tune In The Road.

Ras Iley and Khiomal rounded out the ten finalists. (AL-F) (Nation News)

The much-hyped Soca Royale battle turned into a puzzling and embarassing no-contest when Sweet Soca Monarch T.C. did not appear on stage for the showdown between herself and Party Monarch Blood.

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The much-hyped Soca Royale battle turned into a puzzling and embarassing no-contest when Sweet Soca Monarch T.C. did not appear on stage for the showdown between herself and Party Monarch Blood.

The strange twist of events unfolded just a few moments ago at the Bushy Park racing circuit, with the result being that Party Monarch Blood won by default.

TC’s Sweet Soca win was clearly not popular with the crowd, who booed when she was announced as the winner of the contest around 6:30 pm. The boos became even louder when emcee Mac Fingall made the introductions which was supposed to herald her arrival on stage to perform her winning tune Down the Road.

The band struck up, the back up singers crooned, but TC never appeared.

Fingall soon appeared back on stage to introduce Blood’s performance and announce what had become obvious to the thousands at Bushy Park.

Blood attempted to pour oil on the proverbial troubled waters, calling out the various performers in the event to join him on stage in a show of unity. He acknowledged that while the judges’ decision may not have been popular, “we do not judge ourselves” and declared his affection for TC, saying:

“She is my friend and she is my Queen.”

Read tomorrow’s DAILY NATION for more details on this story and full reports and coverage from the Soca Royale competition. (AL-F)(Nation News)