Caribbean Report 30-03-1993

Abstract

In Jamaica the 1993 general elections has been marred by violence and apparent malfunctioning of the election machinery. There have been widespread system problems both manual and mechanical with the flawed addendum to the voting process and late as well as no distribution of ballot boxes to the various polling stations. This has incited in alarming incidents of violence resulting in fatalities and serious injuries – correspondent Gary Allen reports. Correspondent Gary Duffy has also been monitoring the series of violent of events and reports from Kingston. Debbie Ransome interviews political scientist Dr. Brian Meeks who expresses his analysis of the situation and the dangerous election climate in Jamaica. The Jamaican community in New York has been following reports on the elections campaign in Jamaica. Michael Roberts – editor of New York’s Carib News correspondent and the is interviewed by correspondent Ransome regarding rumours of clashes between PNP and JLP supporters in New Your among the Jamaican community following the elections result in Jamaica – Michael Roberts that the New York Jamaican is taking it in stride contrary to their Caribbean community. Rikki Singh, a senior journalist based in Barbados in an interview with corespondent Debbie Ransome states that the Jamaican elections has not been given major media coverage in Barbados, since the media was at the time taken up with the coverage of West Indies cricket. Prof. Philip Brenner, Director, US Foreign Policy Field School of International Service, American University, Washington also gives Debbie Ransome his views on the effect of the violent events surrounding Jamaica’s elections, the media attention being paid to Jamaica in the US, and how the results would affect foreign relations between the two countries especially in respect to CARICOM. Barbados and Cuba saw alterations to their existing parliaments. In Barbados trade unionist Leroy Trotman carried out a threat to quit the party, this came as a result of his dissatisfaction over the new incomes policy announced by PM Erskine Sandiford. MP Trotman announced his resignation in parliament as an independent. And, in Cuba 37 year old Roberto Robina has been sworn in as Foreign Minister. He is the youngest person to be given that portfolio in Cuba. However, Cuban observers have noted that his relative lack of foreign policy experience and the fact that several other senior party member shave have been overlooked. The plight of HIV infected Haitians was addressed at the Oscar Awards as Hollywood couple Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins just before announcing the awards called on the Clinton administration to release the 266 Haitians being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba because they were HIV infected. Both Sarandon and Robbins made a public appeal to the Clinton administration on behalf of the Haitian refugees, saying that HIV was not a crime and to please admit the infected refugees into the United States. Once again, the Jamaica elections and the violence situation resurfaces in this BBC Caribbean report, as correspondent Gary Duffy reports from Kingston to correspondent Debbie Ransome on the chaotic and violent election day in Jamaica. Duffy describes the day’s violent events, the general mood, climate in Jamaica on election day as it unfolds.