Category: National

An attorney for Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has taken steps to initiate legal action against political activist, Luzette King, for defamatory statements she made against the Prime Minister.

This comes after Ms. King during a call in segment on the New Times radio programme hosted by Igal Adams and aired on Nice Radio on January 21st, 2016, alleged that Prime Minister Gonsalves had instructed police officers to use tear gas on New Democratic Party (NDP) supporters who were protesting near the Electoral Office on Bay Street in Kingstown.

The Prime Minister’s attorney, Mr. Grahame Bollers has written to Ms. King and Mr. Douglas DeFrietas, the owner of BDS Limited (NICE Radio) at Dorsetshire Hill, demanding a full and unequivocal withdrawal and apology of the slander to be published in one issue of each of the local weekly newspapers and compensation in an amount to be agreed.

The defendants have seven days in which to respond, failure to do so will result in further legal action being taken.

Attendees at the Kingstown Methodist Church are still trying to come to grips with a traumatic and frightening event, which occurred on Sunday, January 31st 2016.
Minister of the Kingstown Congregation and Superintendent of the Kingstown and Cateaubelair Circuit- Reverend Adolph Davis told national News that sometime between 7:45 and 8:15 Sunday morning, during worship, a young male, believed to be in his early 20s entered the church with a cutlass.
Reverend Davis said they are confident that it was the hands and grace of God why the incident did not turn tragic.
Reverend Davis also commended the Police and members of Guardsman for their swift response.
 
Written from sourced news first published on NBCRADIO

At 8:30 a.m. today, the first road fatality for the year occurred at Argyle. Dead is Marilyn Henry, a 62-year-old resident of Georgetown.

She was a passenger in motor vehicle, PC 193, a Daihatsu van, owned by Anthony Walker of Georgetown and driven by his mother, Lavern Walker, 55 yrs, of the same address.

Preliminary reports claim that they were travelling from Georgetown to a church service at Arnos Vale when the vehicle went out of control and ran off the road at Argyle. Henry reportedly fell out of the vehicle and died on the spot.

Seven persons were travelling in the vehicle at the time of the accident: Oscar Browne, 7 yrs, of Georgetown and Dennis John, 58 yrs, both hospitalized with head injuries; while Paulette Baptiste, 49 yrs, of Orange Hill, Odette Letteen, 60 yrs of Langley Park, and Denisa Letteen 14 yrs also of Langley Park were treated and discharged. Lavern Walker escaped without injuries.

A post mortem examination will be carried out on Henry’s body to determine the cause of death.

What started out as a regular Saturday morning for 8 Seventh Day Adventist Church members,turned out deadly.

News784 obtained information that a vehicle carrying 8 church members to a national convention in ArnosVale overturned in Argyle.

Written From Source News First Publish on Caribbean Life Author Nelson King

It is not unusual for St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves to hail, in a very special way, Vincentians at home and abroad who are doing well generally.

But it is even more extraordinary when the nation’s leader takes time out to personally pen a letter commending the Vincentian-born owner and head chef of a restaurant in New York that has been ranked no. 1 by the illustrious New York Times.

“It is with great pleasure that I learnt that your restaurant, Food Sermon, was rated by The New York Times as the top place in New York City ‘to eat well and cheaply in 2015,’” wrote Gonsalves in a letter to Rawlston Williams, owner of The Food Sermon Restaurant in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

“I am most impressed with your entrepreneurship, management and culinary skills,” Gonsalves added. “You are a splendid example of our nationals in the Diaspora who have done well in their adopted homes.

“The next time that I am in New York, I would find myself in one of your ‘pews’, enjoying ‘the Food Sermon’,” he quipped.

“Please do not forget St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Gonsalves continued. “Please keep in touch. All the best to you, your family and staff! May Almighty God continue to bless you!”

An elated Williams, 38, who migrated to New York, when he was only 10 years old, told Caribbean Life, in an exclusive interview, that the prime minister’s gesture “goes a long way.

“It speaks of the type of person he is – that he will take the time out to reach out,” said Williams, as he hustled, at the same time, to prepare meals and serve customers in his small but very busy restaurant, located on 355 Rogers Ave., at the corner of Sullivan Place. “It’s a human gesture, and he didn’t have to do it; but I’m glad that he did.

“In addition to that, it even more solidifies my love for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the people there every day,” Williams added. “Every day, all I do is think of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s what gets me up every day — makes me work harder.”

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Ralph Gonsalves presented the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the fiscal year 2016 in Parliament this morning, which amount to 912-million, 897-thousand 311 dollars.

The Prime Minister said this year’s budget is some six percent or 58.5 million dollars below the amount budgeted for 2015.

He said the reduction is accounted for on the capital side of the Budget, which is about 33 percent less than the planned Capital Program last year.

The Prime Minister said the Current Expenditure amounts to 576-million 553-thousand 198 dollars, while Current Revenue is estimated at 564-million, 627-thousand, 600 dollars.

According to the Finance Minister, the Current Revenue estimate for 2016 is 6.1 percent or 32.28 million dollars higher than the budgeted Current Revenue for 2015.

A bill to address non-performance and absenteeism by Members of Parliament here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, could be in the making.

In his remarks, Friday, at the presentation of the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in the House of Assembly, Leader of the House – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he is hoping for a bill to address the issue of members of the house not working, but are drawing monies for work.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said that such a bill could come before the house for consideration as early as February 22nd; the next date the house is scheduled to meet.

“Though it’s not on the Order Parer, I can give advance notice that we can amend the order paper to include a bill relating to certain matters of that kind” – Gonsalves said.

Opposition Members of Parliament decided to boycott Friday’s presentation of the 2016 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.

Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace has referred to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves as an ‘illegal’ Prime Minister. Opposition supporters have been protesting the results of the December 9, 2015 General Election, since the results showed a victory for the Unity Labour Party with 8 seats to 7 and more than 52 percent of the popular vote.

The opposition is boycotting Parliament in continued protest action for what they say are stolen elections.

“You could come on the road, be with us for a while… but you have to come into council and talk what you have to talk… but they don’t want to come to council; come to parliament” – Gonsalves said – referring to the Opposition.

“So I’ve spoken to the young, I’ve spoken to the elderly and those in between would get the same message.. the public is expecting that we would do something about persons who don’t come to Parliament and want to draw money” – the Prime Minister added.

In walking through the idea briefly, Prime Minister Gonsalves said – “whether it’s a deduction from your salary, or a penalty in monetary terms for not coming, whatever it is, we will do it because we have been looking at other laws in other countries where you have such similar provisions”.

The Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) members are known to boycott / walk out of parliamentary sessions on a frequent basis, since the party lost General Elections in 2001.

“I hope we won’t have to do it Mr. Speaker… I hope… but you say you are challenging the results in two constituencies, you have put in election petitions, well wait until the election petitions are decided”.

Prime Minister Gonsalves also opined that opposition supporters across seven constituencies were left without a voice on the 2016 Estimates.

Written from source news  First Published ON WEFM St Vincent

Another Vincentian footballer has been contracted overseas.
This time around is SVG National U-23 speedy left winger Ojoy Degrads who is from the fishing village of Calliaqua and is a former player of GTM Prospect.
Earlier today Ojoy Degrads signed a four (4) year contract with 2nd Division Club in the Panama “Tiera Firme”
President of Club Tiera Firme Antonio Ruiz says, ” Great and special talent from St.Vincent and we at the club is very very thankful.

St Vincent and the Grenadines will join eight other UN Member States with no voting rights in the General Assembly at its 70th session.
A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.
The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member. (Article 19 of the Charter of the United Nations)
Five Member States are currently in arrears in the payment of their dues . However, on 12 October 2015, the General Assembly adopted resolution 70/2 by which it decided that the following Member States shall be permitted to vote in the General Assembly until the end of its 70th session:Comoros,Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe,Somalia and Yemen
As of 22 January 2016, the following nine Member States shall not be permitted to vote in the General Assembly at its 70th session.Bahrain,Burundi,Dominican Republic,Libya,Mali,Marshall Islands,Saint Vincent and Grenadines,Vanuatu and Venezuela.
St Vincent minimum payment necessary to reduce the amount owed on it’s contribution would amount to US 2155.

Written from source news

Original Author Nelson King

President of the Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Teachers Association of New York, Jackson Farrell, says he’s deeply troubled by what he characterizes as a “new low” in electioneering in his native land.

“We have taken the elections to a new low,” added Farrell in his prepared statement, taking the unusual step in commenting on the political status quo at home in his association’s official ceremony. “Tensions, divisions, character assassinations and destruction of property seem to be the hallmark of that event.

“What is even more troubling is the fact that the elections are over, but the saga continues.

“What happens to the least among us?” queried Farrell rhetorically. “What happens to nation-building? These seem to be foreign concepts at this time.”

In diverting from his script, Farrell said: “St. Vincent and the Grenadines is bigger than Ralph (Gonsalves, the prime minister), Eustace (Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace), the Red Party (Unity Labor Party), the Green Party, or any other party.”

“Those of us out here (in the Diaspora) really should be setting an example for folks back in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” but it seems to me that, in some ways, we’re worst, because of comments posted on Face Book and whatever. It’s ridiculous.”

In a recent press conference in Kingstown, the Vincentian capital, Gonsalves accused some United States-based nationals of directing terroristic activities against St. Vincent and Grenadines via the social media, primarily Facebook.

In this nexus, he said that he had informed the Barbados-based U.S. Ambassador to the sub-regional Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which includes St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Jackson also described as “ridiculous” statements made on Face Book by some Vincentian nationals in the US, urging their compatriots to boycott Vincentian-owned businesses that are seemingly or perceptibly not supportive of their political views or stance.

“The message we should be sending is that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is bigger than any political party,” said Farrell, who was considered a militant in the teachers movement before migrating to the U.S.

“The [international] airport project is very important,” he added. “If we believe that will be the alpha and omega (the beginning and the end) of the country, that will not happen.

“If we don’t have the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines working together, we will not have development, because our greatest resources are the people,” Farrell warned.

Written from source information CLNP

Four persons were arrested and charged on January 20th for assembling together outside the precincts of the Electoral Office with intent to carry out a common purpose “disruption of the operation of the Electoral Office”.
According to police, Violet Joslyn-Hannibal, a 52 year old, vendor of Redemption Sharpes; Osborne Jack, a 30 year old, security guard of Level Garden; Sheridon Davis, a 42 year old, unemployed of Arnos Vale; and Susan Duncan, a 49 year old, unemployed of Georgetown, were detained at 12:10pm on Wednesday January 20th after reportedly conducting themselves in a manner as to cause persons in the neighborhood reasonably to fear that they will commit a breach of the peace of Kingstown.
One of the accused, Osborne Jack was also charged for without lawful excuse in a public place having had in his possession an offensive weapon, “an imitation firearm” at Bay Street, in Kingstown on January 20th.