Caribbean Report 03-02-2003

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1. Headlines with anchor Ken Richards (00:00-00:26)
2. In Guyana, the late Desmond Hoyte is replaced by the newly elected leader of the Opposition People’s National Congress, Attorney-at-Law Robert Corbin. He outlines some of the priorities under his leadership. Also in Guyana the crime situation against police officers continues. BBC correspondent Ken Richards reports (00:27-04:06)
3. With elections due within a year, the political landscape in the islands of Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda is being reshaped with the birth and rebirth of parties positioning themselves to have some impact at the polls. Correspondent Lew Smith gives an historical overview from Grenada on the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), one of Grenada’s oldest political parties. Newly elected leader Gloria Payne-Banfield expresses how she plans to reorganize and reenergize the GULP. In Antigua and Barbuda, Glentis Goodwin, Interim Chairman for the newly formed Organisation for National Development (OND) party shares the reason for the coalition of political stalwarts. BBC correspondent Mike Jarvis reports (04:07-07:13)
4. Officials at a hospital in south Trinidad are denying that patient neglect was the cause of six persons dying on the weekend. Meanwhile Colm Imbert, Health Minister postpones his trip to Cuba to recruit new doctors saying that he cannot leave the country as the health crisis escalates. BBC correspondent Tony Fraser reports on patient scenarios (07:14-09:02)
5. In Venezuela, shops, factories and universities re-open after nine weeks of strikes against the government of President Hugo Chavez. More than four million people have signed petitions calling on Chavez to arrange for new elections. Reports indicate that the power struggle in Venezuela is turning into a protracted war of attrition (09:03-10:53)
6. CARICOM foreign ministers are hoping to come up with a new mechanism to help resolve Haiti’s political crisis. Racial comments made by Prime Minister Yvon Neptune and another top government official have further antagonized the Haitian situation. Fredo Dupoux, New York based Haitian broadcaster reporter concedes that the crisis cannot be resolved. Joseph Delva, Head of the Press Association in Haiti explains why the racial statements caused contention among some factions in Haiti (10:54-13:36)
7. There is growing concern in Barbados over the number and increase of teenage pregnancies. BBC correspondent Rosie Hayes reports on the comparative annual statistics (13:37-15:41)

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