Caribbean Report 13-03-1991
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Date
1991-03-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Abstract
An update is provided in this report on the political situation in Antigua and Barbuda where seven rebel MPs have written the Prime Minister to resign due to his poor leadership. Antigua’s Leader of the Opposition United National Democratic Party (UNDP), believes that the Prime Minister has succeeded in the challenge against his son and six other rebel MPs who have asked him to resign. There is an unprecedented move in Haiti where six soldiers have been arrested and an army platoon has been confined to barracks. The West Indian Commission continued its consultation with the people in the Caribbean and held a recent session in Jamaica. The Jamaican government has broken its silence on the death penalty and maintains that it would not be abolished in the country. The BVI seeks British aid in order to lengthen the BVI’s airport runway which would facilitate flights from Miami and New York and also accommodate direct flights into the BVI.
Description
Segment 5, contains clips of speakers at the session.
Table of Contents
1. Headlines (00:00 - 00:33)
2. The Deputy Prime Minister, Lester Bird has issued a public statement to the regional and international press explaining his public silence since he and six other members of the government have called on his father Vere Bird Sr. to resign. He believes now is not a time for public pronouncements and that the matter should be resolved in quiet negotiations outside the glare of publicity (00:34-02:23)
3. Who is gaining the upper hand in the battle for leadership in Antigua, the father or the son? Mr. Baldwin Spencer, Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition UNDP, believes that the Prime Minister has succeeded in the challenge and he will attempt to pass the budget, with the Opposition voting against it. He believes that the rebel MPs may not appear at the budget sitting and if they do this, it will be highly irresponsible of them (02:24 – 07:17)
4. In Haiti, six soldiers have been arrested and an army platoon confined to barracks following a government investigation into a bloody military civilian clash. This was the first military civilian clash since President Jean-Bertrand Aristide took up office as President (07:18 – 09:12)
5. The West Indian Commission continued its consultation with the people of the Caribbean and held a recent session in Jamaica. Comments were made about the slow pace of regional integration which is causing frustration and it was suggested that it is time for people to take matters into their own hands. A 12 year old student from a Kingston high school placed the 10 man team of the Commission on the spot by asking “why are there 10 men on the commission and no women?” He added that there is need for more women to be in the Parliament in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean and also on the Commission (09:13 - 11:48)
6. Hugh Crosskill reports that the Jamaican government broke its silence on the death penalty and maintains that it would not be abolished in the country. The Jamaican Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Carl Rattray identified a number of categories that would warrant the death penalty (11:49 – 12:41)
7. Mr. Lavity Stoutt, Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is in London for a series of meetings. The highest item on his agenda is to seek British aid in order to lengthen the BVI’s airport runway. This would facilitate flights from Miami and New York and also accommodate direct flights into the BVI. There are also plans to strengthen the BVI’s London Tourism office. The British government will also provide the BVI with an aircraft to assist in the battle against drug trafficking (12:42 – 14:56)
2. The Deputy Prime Minister, Lester Bird has issued a public statement to the regional and international press explaining his public silence since he and six other members of the government have called on his father Vere Bird Sr. to resign. He believes now is not a time for public pronouncements and that the matter should be resolved in quiet negotiations outside the glare of publicity (00:34-02:23)
3. Who is gaining the upper hand in the battle for leadership in Antigua, the father or the son? Mr. Baldwin Spencer, Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition UNDP, believes that the Prime Minister has succeeded in the challenge and he will attempt to pass the budget, with the Opposition voting against it. He believes that the rebel MPs may not appear at the budget sitting and if they do this, it will be highly irresponsible of them (02:24 – 07:17)
4. In Haiti, six soldiers have been arrested and an army platoon confined to barracks following a government investigation into a bloody military civilian clash. This was the first military civilian clash since President Jean-Bertrand Aristide took up office as President (07:18 – 09:12)
5. The West Indian Commission continued its consultation with the people of the Caribbean and held a recent session in Jamaica. Comments were made about the slow pace of regional integration which is causing frustration and it was suggested that it is time for people to take matters into their own hands. A 12 year old student from a Kingston high school placed the 10 man team of the Commission on the spot by asking “why are there 10 men on the commission and no women?” He added that there is need for more women to be in the Parliament in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean and also on the Commission (09:13 - 11:48)
6. Hugh Crosskill reports that the Jamaican government broke its silence on the death penalty and maintains that it would not be abolished in the country. The Jamaican Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Carl Rattray identified a number of categories that would warrant the death penalty (11:49 – 12:41)
7. Mr. Lavity Stoutt, Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is in London for a series of meetings. The highest item on his agenda is to seek British aid in order to lengthen the BVI’s airport runway. This would facilitate flights from Miami and New York and also accommodate direct flights into the BVI. There are also plans to strengthen the BVI’s London Tourism office. The British government will also provide the BVI with an aircraft to assist in the battle against drug trafficking (12:42 – 14:56)