TCI PREMIER ADDRESS TO THE CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
PREMIER OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
HON. DR. RUFUS W. EWING
ADDRESS TO THE CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AT THE TWENTY-FOURTH INTER-SESSIONAL MEETING
PORT AU PRINCE
HAITI
FEBRUARY 18th 2013
HIS Excellency Michel Martelly, President of the Republic of Haiti and Chairman of CARICOM, Hon. Laurent Lamothe, Prime Minister of Haiti, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, Heads of State of CARICOM and other Delegates present, friends all. I bring you greetings on behalf of the Government and people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I would like to thank the CARICOM Secretariat and you the CARICOM Heads of Government for affording me the opportunity to address this gathering on matters concerning the Turks and Caicos Islands.
It is indeed an honour to be here and I consider it a privilege to address you at this very significant Twenty-Fourth Inter-Sessional Meeting. This meeting is of significance, because it is the first meeting of CARICOM at which the Turks and Caicos Islands is being officially represented by a democratically elected Government since the suspension of our Constitution in August 2009. It is also of significance, because it the first of such meetings to be held by one of our closest neighbours and important trading partner. Given the long relationship between the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the people of Haiti, my own father captaining many voyages to Haiti, I feel able to say that Haiti’s membership in CARICOM, is a recognition within the region, of our brotherhood with Haiti. Haiti is a part of us and we are a part of Haiti.
The Turks and Caicos Islands extends its congratulations to His Excellency Martelly and the people of Haiti and do look forward to both our nations growing from strength to strength within the Caribbean Community.
On November 9th 2012, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands were granted the ability to exercise their democratic right to elect a representative government following a three year period of direct rule by United Kingdom Government. Though these elections have indeed led to the restoration of ministerial government, the overall state of political affairs remains less than desirable in our islands. The restoration of true democracy is still a far way off. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, we are today being governed by a constitution that was conceived in White Hall, and was for all intents and purposes thrust upon the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, at a time when they were without representation. The 2011 Constitution is merely a by-law for the continuance of direct rule under the pretext of representative democracy.
Distinguished colleagues, friends, we seize the opportunity of this audience to reflect briefly on the evolution of events in our country over the past three years, so that you may better appreciate our realities and come to understand that our yearnings are not unique. The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, wish simply to serve democracy because they are confident that if they serve democracy, democracy will in turn serve them.
In 2008, a Commission of Inquiry presided upon by a sole Judge; found that there was evidence of systemic corruption, by politicians, senior government officials and co-conspirator developers. The findings of the Inquiry also suggested that there were significant deficiencies within the administrative arm of Government. Following on from his findings, the Commissioner made several recommendations including the investigation of those persons accused of wrong-doing, but more importantly, the suspension of vital parts of our 2006 constitution, allowing for direct rule from the UK by an Interim Administration from August 2009.
During the period of direct rule from the United Kingdom, all power was vested in the office of the Governor, so that he wielded absolute power. The Advisory Council and the Consultative Forum, whose members were appointed by the Governor, were institutions established by the Interim Administration designed to mimic respectively the Cabinet and the House of Assembly. His Excellency was not however bound to take the advice of either body. Under the Direct authority of the United Kingdom Government the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands witnessed the following:
- The implementation of new laws such as "The Trial Without Jury Law" and amendments to the laws governing the admissibility of Hearsay Evidence. To the extent that these laws are intended to be retroactive, they erode the confidence in the Judiciary that must underpin every democracy and challenge the very rule of law that the Interim Administration was charged to promote.
- The approval of budgets without debate, so that there was no opportunity for the ordinary citizen to influence in any way, how his tax dollar was being spent,
- The transfer of protected pension funds from the National Insurance Fund to the Consolidated Fund
- The implementation of laws facilitating the imposition of taxation against the wishes of the people
Such were but some the abuses of the United Kingdom Government visited upon the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the name of Democracy and Good Governance during the rule of the Interim Government.
Your Excellency, I wish to assure the Community, that the Government and people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are committed to all the principles of democracy and the tenets of good governance. As a Government, we are committed to strengthening where they exist and creating where they do not exist, all those institutions that promote democracy and good governance. Guided by that commitment, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands by and large welcomed the need for reforms and for the strengthening of governance systems. By and large we acknowledged that the allegations of corruption and maladministration necessitated investigation, we have however, always been concerned that the inquiry was left to a lone Commissioner and we have always maintained that the suspension of our constitution and the establishment of an Interim Administration, was an inappropriate response to the Commissioner’s findings and ran counter to every principle of democracy and good governance.
Our sense of what is right and decent and fair compels us to question even to this day, why it is that former Governor Tauwhare, who was a member of the Cabinet for a significant period of the last elected government’s term, has not been required to speak to his involvement in the alleged wrong doings. Your Excellency, as you would expect, I am slow to comment on judicial processes, but I would betray my duty to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands if I did not express our concern that in relation to the criminal investigations that followed the commission of inquiry, persons who were charged criminally have avoided the criminal process by paying millions of dollars into the treasury before they were even called upon to answer the charge. This type of action is abusive and nothing short of corrupt. It is the more egregious, because those who have to date been able to purchase their justice, have not been Turks and Caicos Islanders. When those who dispense justice are allowed to see black or white, rich or poor, expatriate or belonger, what they dispense ceases to be justice. When justice is for sale and when laws are implemented and made retroactive, arguably in an effort to secure particular convictions, the justice system and the system of justice is being challenged and democracy is under siege.
On the issue of taxation without representation, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands by its duly elected Parliamentarians have just recently unanimously voted in support of an ordinance to repeal the Value Added Tax Ordinance that was passed by the Interim Administration and that is scheduled to come into force on April 1st of this year. The unanimity of the vote to repeal the VAT Ordinance, did not come as a surprise, as both political parties campaigned against its immediate implementation and sought its delay in order to allow the elected Government to explore alternative measures. We have made representations to the effect that VAT is not in the best interest of a small economy such as ours and have provided sound alternative revenue generating measures. While we maintain that VAT will not work in the Turks and Caicos Islands, we are more concerned, as you can see, that the principle of Democracy and Good Governance, which mandates that the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands through their elected officials, must have an opportunity to consider any measure that seeks to impose an additional tax burden on them or to otherwise alter their tax structure, is a principle that is being sacrificed on the altar of despotism. If His Excellency The Governor refuses to assent to the repeal bill, he would have said in no uncertain terms that the voice of the people is the voice of God, only so long as God and the United Kingdom Government are singing in chorus. I cannot stress with sufficient strength nor overstate the significance of these events. The question is not one of taxation, but rather, one of democracy.
An additional insult to the democratic process, is the continued presence of a UK appointed CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, whose office controls government expenditure without the authority of the elected Minister of Finance. Friends, imagine if you could, an elected Government unable to give a clear undertaking to the works because this strange, unelected creature, the CFO, is deciding upon the operations of Government without the authority of the Minister of Finance.
Your Excellency, Ministerial Government in the Turks and Caicos Islands is not yet 40 years old – younger in fact, than the treaty of Chaguaramas. In that time, we have by any standards, made significant strides and by the same token, we have made mistakes. Your Excellency, fellow heads of Government, I assure you that the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has constantly under review, the successes and failures of those Governments that came before us. We will not be afraid to emulate the actions that lead to successes and avoid those that lead to failures. I wish also to assure you, that so long as I am entrusted with the office of Premier, I will stand in opposition to any individual or group of individuals, whose purpose it is to reverse the social, political and economic gains of past governments.
On February 10th 2013, moved by dismay over the constant infractions of democratic principles and insults to the ideals of elected government, I caused a letter to be forwarded to the First Secretary of State, The Rt. Hon. William Hague, MP - Minister of Foreign Affairs - requesting the recall with immediate effect, of the UK appointed dignitaries responsible for these infractions, namely His Excellency the Governor, the Attorney General and the Chief Financial Officer.
For some time Your Excellency, perhaps blinded by the euphoria of success, the Turks and Caicos Islands may not have been as public in its support for CARICOM as it could have been. We may not have been as bold as we could have been in championing the ideals of the Community. We may have failed to look within the region for the assistance in strengthening our institutions and building our democracy. The Turks and Caicos Islands have a vested interest in CARICOM, not least because we have living and working among us, citizens from perhaps every member and associate member of the Community. Your Excellency, please know that the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands is committed to this region as we strive to build our small nation.
Even as I make public my Government’s commitment to the Caribbean Community, I want to make clear that that commitment is not at the expense of our willingness to continue work with the United Kingdom Government. The Government of the United Kingdom must by now realize that the Turks and Caicos is not prepared “to go along”, with all that they propose just “to get along”. The Partnership only works, if, notwithstanding our status as overseas territories, Her Majesty’s Government recognizes that we also carry the mandate of a constituency, whose interest we have a duty to represent.
In the words of Sir Lynden Pindling “We (the Government), must take the worst and make them Better. We must take the lowest and take them Higher. We must take the saddest and make them Happier. We must take the sickest and make them Healthier and we must take the poorest and make them Richer.” I have no doubt that all the Governments represented here today subscribe to that vision. It was that vision that propelled Toussaint L’Ouverture in to action. That vision drove Eric Williams, Alexander Bustamante, Forbes Burnham, Errol Barrow, Lynden Pindling and a slew of others, to challenge the status quo. So too, are the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands Inspired.
Your Excellency, There has always been a commitment in CARICOM for democratic values and a concern for basic human rights. CARICOM has never been afraid to condemn any circumstance that is an affront to democracy or denies the basic human rights to any people. In this regard we wish to thank the Community for its pronouncements thus far.
The current state of affairs in the Turks and Caicos Islands has the potential to throw our Country into chaos. For so long as I am the leader and principal spokesman of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I will use every means available to me to ensure that does not happen.
Today therefore, on behalf of the Government and peoples of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I am calling on the Community and the individual member states, to keep the situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands under review. I urge you to stand with us, not on one or other specific policy, but on the question of democracy. I invite you, to advocate on the international stage for the full restoration of the institutions of true democracy in our islands and to support our cries for removal of the spectre of colonial influences of the past, as we fight for our rights on our journey towards true self governance and self determination.
On behalf of the people of The Turks and Caicos Islands, I thank you.
Drastic action needed to deal with regional crime, says Trinidad PM
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar Monday warned that regional leaders needed to adopt “urgent and drastic action” to deal with the scourge of transnational crime in the Caribbean.
Addressing the leaders at the 24th intersessional summit, Persad Bissessar, who has lead responsibility for security within the quasi Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Cabinet, said “ I fear we have found ourselves in a very serious situation and we are running out of time as the scourge of transnational crime is slowly taking over the region.
“The time has come, colleagues, for urgent and drastic action. Globalization has caused us to redefine the concept of national security,” she told the meeting that is also being attended by United States Attorney General Eric Holder.
Crime and security is a major item to be considered by the leaders and a CARICOM Secretariat statement said the “discussions will be taking place against a backdrop of high levels of crime in many of the member states with the use of firearms being of particular concern”.
The Trinidad and Tobago prime minister said that the emerging reality for governments is that criminal activity is more often than not influenced and precipitated by external factors, transnational in nature.
US AG meets with Caribbean leaders in Haiti
US Attorney General Eric Holder discussed regional crime with Caribbean leaders on Monday during a summit in Haiti.
Holder talked with the leaders of mostly English-speaking Caribbean countries about crime problems, efforts to curb weapons and drug trafficking and a need to alert countries in the region about imminent deportations at the conference of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), held at a hotel in the Haitian capital.
Hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and other nations have been deported to homelands they barely know since the US Congress mandated in 1996 that every non-citizen sentenced to a year or more in prison be booted from the country upon release.
"With regard to deportees, I think what we need to do is make sure that we give as much notice as we possibly can before people are to be released and deported from the United States," Holder told reporters. "As we increase the more general capacity, law enforcement capacity, security capacity of the nations of Caricom, they will be in a much better position to deal with these deportees from the United States."
Nestle recalls products after horse meat discovery
Nestle is suspending deliveries of all its products that include beef from a German supplier because "traces of horse DNA" were found in the meat, the Swiss-based food giant said on its website Monday.
Nestle also is recalling two chilled pasta products, Buitoni Beef Ravioli and Beef Tortellini, from store shelves in Italy and Spain, the news release said. A lasagna product sold to French catering businesses will also be recalled.
"Our tests have found traces of horse DNA in two products made from beef supplied by H.J. Schypke," the statement said. "The levels found are above the one percent threshold the UK's Food Safety Agency uses to indicate likely adulteration or gross negligence."
The company said there are no food safety issues and it had notified the authorities.
Unauthorized horse meat has been discovered in a variety of products labeled as beef that were sold in supermarkets in countries including Britain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland.
Also on Monday, the French government lifted a suspension tied to the production of minced meat, sausages and ready-made meals at Spanghero. The French firm will still not be allowed to stock frozen raw meat.
Spanghero should have known that the meat it labeled as beef was actually horse, French Consumer Affairs Minister Benoit Hamon has said.
Spanghero was the first company to label the meat as beef, the minister said, adding that 750 tons of horse meat were involved over a period of at least six months.
Spanghero should have identified the meat as horse from its Romanian customs code, as well as its appearance, smell and price, he said.
Gonsalves accuses St Vincent Opposition of economic sabotage
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has accused the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) of joining with foreigners to undermine economic development in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Gonsalves made the claims in a radio programme on Sunday after he told listeners of an encounter he had with two journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) while aboard an aircraft in Barbados.
Gonsalves said the journalists told him they have three witnesses who would testify that resort developer Dave Ames came into his office “with a briefcase of money and then left without it”.
Gonsalves denied having received money from Ames, whose company, Harlequin, is the subject of an investigation by the BBC programme, “Panorama”.
Paul Kenyon, one of the journalists, told CMC on Sunday that they had failed to secure an interview with Gonsalves during their four-day visit to St Vincent last week.
Thief shoots himself in forehead in hijacked taxi
A THIEF shot himself in the head while robbing passengers in a taxi he hijacked in Chaguanas yesterday afternoon.
Abraham Bourne, 25, of Crown Trace, Enterprise, died seated next to two female passengers.
His body was identified at the scene by his mother, Glenda Bourne, and wife, Whitney Mayers, both of Enterprise.
The shooting occurred around 12.15 p.m.
Police were told that Bourne got into the back seat of a "PH" taxi driven by a 37-year-old man of Couva.
The driver's wife occupied the front passenger seat.
The driver told police he picked up Bourne at Southern Main Road, Couva, and the two female passengers at Southern Main Road, Chase Village.
The driver said when he neared the traffic light intersection near Factory Road, Chaguanas, Bourne pulled a gun and announced a hold-up.
He ordered the driver to park roadside and he pulled up near a Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission sub-station at Ramsaran Street.
Police were told Bourne robbed the two female passengers of cash, jewelry and other valuables, but when he turned the gun to the driver's wife, the driver pulled a knife.
The driver and thief began fighting and the gun discharged, police were told.
The thief was shot through the forehead.
A team of police officers led by Senior Superintendent of the Central Division Deodath Dulalchan, Superintendent Johnny Abraham and Inspector Wayne Lawrence visited the scene.
Police recovered a gun.
Harry Styles on Taylor Swift Split
Harry Styles finally opened up about his breakup with Taylor Swift and about her Grammy diss. Styles appeared on a radio interview, London's Capital FM, on Sunday, February 17 to talk about it for the first time after their relationship ended in early January 2013.
"I understand why people would want to know stuff like that, I get it. If someone does stuff like that then I want to know about it, too," Styles assured fans that it's okay if they wanted to know about his private life. "I guess it just kind of... It is what it is, I guess."
"She's a great performer and she always performs great," Styles said about Swift's diss during her performance at the 2013 Grammy Awards last February 10. "She's always good on the stage. She's been doing it a long time. She knows what she's doing on stage. It was just another good Taylor Swift performance. It was good."
Styles said that he was not worried to run into his ex-girlfriend at the 2013 BRIT Awards next February 20. "I'm not worried about seeing her at all," he told Grazia. "She's a sweet girl, you know, I don't have a bad word to say about her."
Taylor is nominated for a BRIT award for best international female solo artist, while One Direction is nominated for best British group. Both Swift and One Direction will perform on the night. Styles said that he and his bandmates were excited to perform at the O2 Arena.
"I can't wait for the BRITs, we're going to be performing our Comic Relief single, so it's amazing to have such a big platform for that," he added.
Prince Jackson Secures a Job on Entertainment Tonight
Sixteen year old Prince Jackson, superstar Michael Jackson's eldest child, was recently hired as Entertainment Tonight new correspondent. His first job was interviewing "Oz: the Great and Powerful" cast, James Franco and Zac Braff, and director Sam Raimi.
Brooke Anderson from Entertainment Tonight mentored Prince Jackson to prepare his interview with the movie cast. In regards to the boy's performance, Anderson praised Jackson on Twitter, saying that he was "impressive."
At one point, Anderson told Jackson that he seemed much wiser than people at his age. The boy replied that it was because of his father. "That's what most of my people say. That was all thanks to my dad. He raised me right," said Jackson.
Jackson hoped that he could conduct an interview with Peter Jackson because he loved the director's work. The new correspondent explained, "I love his movies. 'Lord of the Rings, 'The Hobbit' and 'King Kong'. I just love the way he shoots [and how] he brings things and depicts it back to life. I used to study his movies with my dad, put the volume off and just watch it, just the shots to see how he put it together."
Jackson revealed his dream, "I'm looking to become well-rounded as a producer, director, screenwriter and actor." James Franco advised him on having successful career in Hollywood, "I always tell people, just go out and try, and stop waiting around or dreaming it's going to happen. Just go and start doing things on your own."
Kim Kardashian Dislikes Her Pregnant Body
One thing that Kim Kardashian hates about her pregnancy is her expanding body. She is reportedly having trouble adjusting to her pregnant body as she gains more weight and allegedly misses wearing her little dresses.
"She's miserable that she can't get into her little dresses anymore," a source told British magazine Star. "She can't wait to be a mommy, but she hates that she can only wear leggings and loose tops. She also misses her regular workouts and it's getting her down."
A report says that Kim has already grown four cup sizes during her pregnancy, from a 36D to a 36G, and she wears sports bra daily. "Kim loves her curves," another source told British magazine Heat. "But she's upset that nothing in her wardrobe fits her any more,"
Kim has been spotted going to the gym more than ever over the past couple of weeks. The 32-year-old steps up her visits to five or six times a week and now includes extra cardio and pilates in her thorough workouts. "It feels like a losing battle to Kim, though, as she is going to gain additional weight no matter what. Some people can stay thin when pregnant, but her body type seems predisposed to get bigger," the source added.
Kim's boyfriend, Kanye West, said that he has no problem with Kim's expanding body. "He encourages her to eat whatever she wants. He tells her not to worry, and it makes her feel better," an insider said.
Oscar Pistorius charged with premeditated murder
Oscar Pistorius told a packed courtroom Tuesday that he shot his girlfriend to death by mistake, thinking she was a robber. The prosecutor called it premeditated murder.
The double amputee said in an affidavit read by his lawyer at his bail hearing that he felt vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic legs when he pumped bullets into the locked bathroom door. Then, Pistorius said in the sworn statement, he realized that model Reeva Steenkamp was not in his bed.
"It filled me with horror and fear," he said.
He put on his prosthetic legs, tried to kick down the door, then bashed it in with a cricket bat to find Steenkamp, 29, shot inside. He said he ran downstairs with her, but "She died in my arms."
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel on Tuesday charged the 26-year-old athlete and Olympian with premeditated murder, alleging he took the time to put on his legs and walk some seven meters (yards) from the bed to the bathroom door before opening fire. A conviction of premeditated murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in jail.
The Valentine's Day shooting death has shocked South Africans and many around the world who idolized Pistorius for overcoming adversity to become a sports champion, competing in the London Olympics last year in track besides being a Paralympian. Steenkamp was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV program that was broadcast on Saturday, two days after her death.