Caribbean News Now!

By Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves
Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines

This extensive paper, which will be published in several parts, is an edited version of a longer document which formed the basis of a presentation made on August 24, 2012, by Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, at the closing session of “the Fifty-Fifty” Conference of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. Among other things, the publication excludes the section on “the Grenada Revolution” (1979 – 1983) which is amply covered in the prime minister’s autobiography entitled The Making of ‘the Comrade’: The Political Journey of Ralph Gonsalves.

This paper contains, too, the essence of Dr Gonsalves’ discussion on the subject “Rethinking Policy to Address Low Growth and High Debt: The Economic Challenges Facing the OECS/Caribbean” on September 04, 2012, at a recently-concluded “High Level Forum” sponsored by the International Monetary Fund, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Central Banks of CARICOM member-countries at Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The ideas of Dr Gonsalves, contained in this paper, are well-known to those who have followed his speeches and writings, especially his Budget Addresses, his United Nations Speeches, his Addresses to CARICOM and OECS, national and international gatherings, and his various publications over the past dozen or so years. They constitute what he calls “a compelling narrative” for socio-economic development. He weaves history, philosophy, literature, economics, law, politics, sociology, policy-making, public administration, governance, and more, into his integrated narrative.

Part 2: The Global Situation

The current special period of extra-ordinary socio-economic challenges had its initial debilitating spark in the financial meltdown in the world’s major economy, the United States of America, in September 2008. This event swiftly metamorphosed into an economic depression in the citadels of global capitalism, the worst such economic collapse world-wide since the Great Depression of 1929 to 1931. The recent history of global capitalism, which has brought the world economy to a near ruinous condition, is characterised by six salient factors, namely: (i) the slowing down, broadly, of the overall rate of economic growth globally; (ii) the increased proliferation, world-wide, of monopolistic (or oligopolistic) transnational corporations; (iii) the financialisation of the capital accumulation process; (iv) an unevenness in the process of internationalization of production; (v) an increased level of immiseration of huge chunks of the populations in developed and developing countries alike; and (vi) the increase in global warming and deleterious climate change.

Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines

It is practically impossible for any individual nation-state by itself, however powerful, to control, regulate, determine, or wholly or largely mitigate the outcomes arising from the extant conditions of a rampant global capitalism. This is particularly striking in North America and Europe. Thus the requirement, evermore, for enhanced cooperation among nation-states the world over to tackle effectively the current challenges, even while at the same time seeking to secure national advantage. That is all part of the perilous condition of our times, internationally, awash as it is with a host of cross-cutting contradictions and complexities.

The nature and character of global capitalism has brought all of this, and more, into our homes, workplaces, schools and communities by way of deteriorating living conditions, low or no growth, and immense fiscal challenges. The comparative experiences of others are being transmitted to us daily, around the clock, by radio, television, and the internet. For example, we note that the pronounced unevenness of the internationalisation of production has resulted in high, positive rates of economic growth in emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and at the same time, stagnation or decline in most of Europe and the USA. Similarly, we notice that the financialisation of the capital accumulation process has led to credit bubbles, junk financial instruments, and a kind of casino capitalism unrelated to the real economy’s production of goods and services. Likewise, we witness a combined and uneven process of socio-economic development which raises the query: How long can the world remain unevenly yoked without further economic disaster and unprecedented socio-political upheavals?

In the USA, economic recovery has been slow and haltering: its outlook uncertain and down-side risks are worsening or at least enduringly difficult to avoid. In any event, for the USA, it has been a period of slow growth with increased joblessness, and an unemployment rate in the region of 8.5 percent, the highest such rate of joblessness for decades. Some 50 million Americans or roughly 16 percent of the USA’s population are on food stamps, an unprecedented figure. Meanwhile, inequity in that country’s population is sharper than ever.

In Europe, the economies of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France are in a crisis of immense proportions, the extent of which the principals are largely innocent and have no clear idea as to the way forward. Governments in each of those countries, and others, have fallen under the weight of their economic burdens, either being voted out of office or hounded out by street protests and the pressures of an international capital which itself had structurally determined and/or seduced the governments and citizens alike into excesses, and consequential increased immiseration. Ironically, the huge domestic and international financial institutions have been bailed out and their principals cosseted with outrageous bonuses, while the people as a whole, the victims of casino capitalism, and its variants, have suffered increased unemployment, misery, and a loss of hope. Thus, we observe a popular response against this reality in the metropolises, and elsewhere, through the movements of “Occupy Wall Street”, “Occupy London”, Occupy Athens, Rome and Madrid”, and the rejection of incumbent governments.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the advice of which contributed immensely to the international economic meltdown itself, has now been compelled by the circumstances to face reality. In its publication World Economic Outlook: Slowing Growth, Rising Risks published in September 2011, the IMF thundered summarily:

“The global economy is in a dangerous new phase. Global activity has weakened and become more uneven, confidence has fallen sharply recently and downside risks are growing. Against a backdrop of unresolved structural fragilities, a barrage of shocks hit the international economy this year. Japan was struck by the devastating Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, and unrest swelled in some oil-producing countries. At the same time, the handover from public to private demand in the US economy stalled, the euro area encountered major financial turbulence, global markets suffered a major sell-off of risky assets, and there are growing signs of spillovers in the real economy. The structural problems facing the crisis-hit advanced economies have proven even more intractable than expected, and the process of devising and implementing reforms even more complicated. The outlook for these economies is thus for a continuing, but weak and bumpy, expansion. Prospects for emerging market economies have become more uncertain again, although growth is expected to remain fairly robust.”

Please re-read this opening sentence by the IMF: “The global economy is in a dangerous new phase.” Karl Marx or V.I. Lenin could have penned that formulation. One year later the story is basically the same: “a dangerous new phase!” Indeed, a modern-day thinker on “the left”, Slavoj Zizek, in “The Afterword” to his book Living in the End Times, published in 2011, provides confirmation, thus:

“Historically, the ‘interesting times’ have been periods of unrest, war and struggles for power in which millions of innocents suffered consequences. Today, we are clearly approaching a new epoch of interesting times. After decades of the Welfare State, when financial cuts were limited to short periods and sustained by a promise that things would soon return to normal, we are entering a new period in which the economic crisis has become permanent, simply a way of life. Furthermore, today, the crises occur at both extremes of economic life ecology (natural externality) and pure financial speculation not at the core of the productive process. This is why it is so crucial to avoid the simple commonsense solution: ‘we have to get rid of the speculators, introduce order there, and real production will go on’ the lesson of capitalism is that these ‘unreal’ speculators are the real here; if we remove them, the reality of production suffers.”

For the last four or so years, the premier financial institutions have scrambled to provide contradictory, often incomprehensible, advice on the way forward, hurtling between austerity and stimulus as the circumstances of the moment demanded. In the current global economic climate, ideological rigidities are to be avoided: failed policies ought not to be repeated; global capitalism has to be restructured; and special and more favourable instruments ought to be devised by the international financial institutions for small-island, middle-income, heavily-indebted, and vulnerable countries such as those in the Caribbean. None of these considerations is yet to be put into global public policy despite some genuflection towards this bundle of concerns by the IMF through a modest increase in the availability of resources from the allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and other financial mechanisms such as the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) or akin instruments.

Next – Part 3: Regional Condition
Previous – Part 1: Introduction and Basic Socio-Economic Facts

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Peter:

The only people who may talk in favor of GONSALVES are either clearly paid to do that (sort of "cultural ambassadors") or brain washed locals who have wet dreams about a socialist Saint Vincent with a dictator and everybody dancing under a palm, in poverty, but fighting the evil imperialism. If you know any Vincentians that live in the US or Canada and adore GONSALVES, they should be deported back to SVG.

May 31, 2911, the "ALBA School of Defense and Sovereignty" opened in Bolivia. The academy will provide comprehensive military training to civilian and military personnel as well as to the indigenous peoples of the ALBA-TCP member countries.

The Final Declaration from the 8th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America states that "the countries of the ALBA-TCP (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty) have joined together in a political, economic and social alliance in defense of the sovereignty, self-determination, identity and unity of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean." The presidents of the then 9 member states of the ALBA-TCP (Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) formally decided in 2009 to open the school of defense and sovereignty in order to defend against foreign military aggression and interference.

According to Bolivian President Evo Morales at a speech during the opening ceremony of the academy, the school will prepare the peoples of the region to defend against "imperialist threats which seek to divide us." He said that the “Peoples of the ALBA-TCP are being besieged, sanctioned and punished by the imperial arrogance just because we are exerting the right of being decent and sovereign.” He also affirmed that, “We may not allow that the history of colonization repeats and that our resources are the loot of the empire.”

The Iranian regime has formed alliances with ALBA members. These alliances can pose an immediate threat by giving Iran—(the Revolutionary Guards) or its proxies like Hezbollah—a platform in the region to carry out attacks against the United States, Canada and Europe, using passports issued by ALBA member countries. These passports will allow Iranians to carry out clandestine operations in those countries that they consider their enemies.

Peter:
GONSALVES, there are more important things to consider at the moment. Like the country being broke and you being responsable. Like visas now required for Canada and your responsable, stop trying to throw up smoke screens and get your cowardly arse up to Canada.

cecil Mike:

It is quite easy for some people to sit back in their armchairs and make off hand comments. I have a policy to look at the statemewnts from all sides, look at what has been happening around the world, even predict the next move which sometimes I get wrong, and not because someone is strong and powerful we tend to take sides, but simply have a holistic of what is happening around us and in deed right before our noses and then perhaps, come to a decision.

Simon Anderson:

PETER, AKA BRIAN ALEXANDER, has no idea what he is speaking about.

The guy is drunk with NDP political indoctrination.

He rambles on and on like a ship without a rudder, permitting every wind of misfortune to blow him wherever it chooses.

Peter:

CECIL MIKE, your quite right, thats exactly how I came to my conclusions, thank you for your support. And thank you for agreeing with what I write.

D. Markie Spring :

First, good to see the Prime Minister (PM) in person! The ‘man’ himself is here defending the socio-economic environment in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). It is time that the PM shows up instead of his ‘surrogates’ who represents him in such a disgraceful manner on this prestige institution – overtime they have become obsolete.

Mr. PM. under ‘part two’ of your letter you spoke eloquently about the global economic meltdown. As stated, sir, this is nothing new coming from you. What I’ve gathered from your opinionated rhetoric is that SVG’s daunting economy is a direct consequence of the global economic situation, especially those environments in the US and Europe – particularly Greece, Spain, UK, France, Italy and Ireland. Mr. PM I agree that the global economic setbacks have impacted our and other economies around the world; however, are you aware that during this same period of economic turmoil that 26 economies around the globe grew steadily. Mr. PM the reason for such, and comparatively speaking, is that these countries have extensively and tirelessly developed and implemented economic strategies that worked. Mr. PM, it is evident that you are waiting on the global meltdown to defuse itself or to be defused by other world leaders, so we in SVG could have an enhanced economic environment – this does not work that way.

I have read extensively, reports by the IMF and World Bank; whose arguments complement the report you put forward. However, what we have not seen from your post is that they (IMF & World) also argued and for that matter, recommended that each world leader carefully approach the situation with well-thought out and innovative strategies – failing to do so they said would sink the world economies into deeper recession in some places and depression in other.

Additionally, Mr. PM, it is during this period of economic uncertainty that a number of Caribbean countries performed despite the odds. Let’s talk about a few of them; in the Turks and Caicos (TCI) and for the first time in the history their Tourism Industry had welcomed the one millionth tourist to their shores, and during the same period TCI was able to attract wedding cruise to its Grand Turk cruise ship berth location – indeed, a lesson defining superior marketing skills and negotiation. Consequently, the government of this country decided to expand the airport facilities, subsequent to a combination of the unique blend of their product, aggressive marketing and other innovative strategies – the result is economies of scales through greater output. In this sense, I believe that if we benchmark against successful economies that it would enhance the determinants of our supply and quest for economic stability.
Similar, we have seen an increase in JetBlue flight into San Juan Puerto and La Romana in the Dominican Republic. Direct flights between Canada and St Kitts and Nevis have also risen during this same period. This is an indication that these leaders/ authorities had utilized aggregate and absorption approaches to economic growth while we have witnessed an adverse economic abortion in SVG.

Not withholding St Lucia that has purchased 2 supermarkets from SVG and SVG’s National Bank. All this is happening next door while we at home are making the global economic uncertainty an excuse for our economic woes.

As a result of these activities, these governments have created entrepreneurship and employment; earn exchange and investment on capital goods, which have profound economic impacts through economic indicators – most noticeably in the GDP.

One recommendation to you Mr. PM is to invest in industries – whether it is through Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) and/ or concession on loan/ incentives to local businesses, guided and supported, with shared decision making and distribution by the government.

Ideally, SVG has an abundance of foods and fruits – an absolute advantage for economic growth: oranges, limes, tangerines, lemons, sour sap, guava, mango, pine, grapefruit, etc that are going unused on a daily basis. Can we purchase a manufacturing plant that would process these fruits into juices and other sellable commodities? This will certainly reduce unemployment in SVG, as 300 – 750 people can be employed to get the fruits from the mountains to the manufacturing plant. Hitherto, factory would need technicians, laborers and administrators and drivers, and vehicle owners that move the final products from the factory to its market place. This could increase productivity; hence, increased exports and reduce the number of imports, and subscribe SVG to international market share in trade.

Why are we importing “Sunny D light” juices all the way from the US? There is definitely a local market for the commodities mentioned above; a regional market in places like Barbados, TNT, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and St Maarten where you have a huge number of Vincentian Diaspora; and an international market in places like Toronto and Montreal, Luton and London, and New York and Pennsylvania where a number of Vincentians live. All this and more, Mr. PM, would create a balance of trade for SVG only if we make use of the concept of comparative advantage and our productive resources.

More so, our fiscal policy could have been handled differently if we had this competitive economic drive. Consumer spending will be reduced. Conversely, I am pessimistic that you would even adapt such a phenomenon, since the manufacturing plant for Ju-c, Pepsi, and Coco Cola has close (this is according to my sources) have closed; the result of such mal practice is importing the same commodities from TNT. This decision has increased the number of people unemployed, increase our imports, increase tariff and sales tax and reduce revenues, which negatively affects our GDP and eventually would increase crimes as we are witnessing today; not forgetting mass emigration amongst other economic dilemmas.

This is the condescending reason for imposing austerity measures on citizens in a time when unemployment is rising and economic optimism fades; disparaging measures that could infringe on the rights of citizens if we are not careful. How is it possible to tax people who are not working?

What makes this situation worst is when we allowed our Banana Industry to deteriorate to the point of no recovery. This and more are responsible for and explain the country’s 4th consecutive year of negative economic growth.

Mr. PM I hope for discussion on the education system, finance and the Argyle International airport, the unstable political arena, the Canada imposing visa restrictions on SVG and more.

On a final note, Mr. PM what has been occurring around the world you have highlighted; I am yet to hear about what SVG has done and are expected to be doing in the future!!

We have not done or doing anything to correct this hideous economic situation - opinionatedly!

Peter:
JUST AN UPDATE ON OUR IRANIAN POLITICAL PARTNERS AND ALLIES

CANADIANS BREAK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH IRAN.
Mr. Baird the Canadian Foreign Minister said the decision to bring home all Canadian Diplomats from Iran, coupled with an announcement expelling Iranian diplomats from Canada, reflected Ottawa’s view that Iran represented a significant threat to world peace.

I believe that our association with Iran has had a great influence on the Canadian-Vincentian Visa problem.

HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 10 MARRIED IN IRAN.
Iran has experienced a dramatic growth in under-age marriages that has seen the number of girls being wed before the age of 10 double in the space of a year, officially-compiled figures have revealed.

Sharia law states that females can be married as young as nine, a 2002 ruling by the powerful Expediency Council laid down that girls below 13 and boys younger than 15 could only wed with their father's consent and the permission of a court.

We must regard nine as being the appropriate age for a girl to have reached puberty and qualified to get married," Mr. Asfenani, chairman of the parliamentary legal and judiciary committee said. "To do otherwise would be to contradict and challenge Islamic Sharia law."

Nine year old girls married to men of 50 and 60 years of age, are expected to have sex and have babies, many immature girls die during childbirth.
By the GONSALVES duo supporting Iran, they support this behavior.

CHRISTIANS IN IRAN
Christians in Iran are persecuted to the endth degree. They are refused employment, their homes destroyed, imprisoned, raped, stoned, murdered, executed by the state, WHY? because they refuse to denounce Christianity.

By the GONSALVES duo supporting Iran, they support this behavior.

OUR REVOLUTIONARY ALIES
Iran is an ally of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Gonsalves joined SVG to the ALBA, ALBA supports Iran and partners with it in several projects. Such as the ALBA military Academy in Bolivia, where the trainers are partly the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

By the GONSALVES taking us into ALBA he has made us allies of this rogue state.

THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines continually votes in the General Assembly in a way that benefits Iran. Voting for, voting with, abstaining, voting in whatever way helps and assists Iran, no consideration is given by SVG if it is right or wrong to do so. The GONSALVES duo, father and son, have led us in acting in this filthy way, in fact its not the Vincentian people, its the GONSALVES.

The GONSALVES duo support of Iran, means that they commit SVG to all the Iranian dire and filthy acts.

IRANIAN NUCLEAR
Iran has been buying radioactive materials from Venezuela and Bolivia for a number of years now. Recently Iran has taken over a mine in the gold mining area of Iran where they are mining Uranium for their nuclear program.

Chávez has allowed the Iranians to use Venezuelan territory to penetrate the Western Hemisphere and to mine for uranium in Venezuela. Chávez policy is aiding Iran in developing nuclear technology and in evading U.N. sanctions and U.S. vigilance of the Iranian drug trade and other illicit activities.

It is well known that the Iranians are seeking to build atomic bombs. They are a threat to World peace.

Once the Iranians develop their own Nuclear weapons, and providing some to their close allies in Caracas and Cuba? Or worse, if the Iranians use Venezuela as a transshipment point to provide nuclear weapons to terrorist groups? Or with the help of Venezuelans, would the Iranians smuggle a nuclear weapon into the U.S.?

Given Chávez’s erratic and irresponsible behavior, these possibilities should not be dismissed lightly. Fidel Castro helped the Soviet Union surreptitiously introduce nuclear weapons into Cuba aimed at the United States. The October 1962 missile crisis is a grim reminder that poor U.S. vigilance, a daring leader in the Caribbean and a reckless dictator in Russia almost brought the world to a nuclear holocaust.

It is known that Chavez has issued Venezuelan passports to Iranian mine workers. Those passports can be used to travel through SVG.
By the GONSALVES duo supporting Iran, they support this behavior

HEZBOLLAH
Hezbollah is classed as a terrorist organization by all decent thinking countries. A high-level delegation from Hezbollah recently visited Caracas-Venezuela and Havana-Cuba. Ammar Musawi, head of Hezbollah International Department, praised Cuba as a model on how to oppose “imperialist hegemony, arrogance, and plunder.

Remember GONSALVES spent Christmas day with the president of the Palestinians.

VENEZUELA
Venezuela’s selling Uranium to Iran, and its growing relations with Iran and Chávez’ support for terrorist groups both in the Americas and the Middle East should set the alarm bells ringing for the US, Canada, UK, EU.

GONSALVES should remember if you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

TEHRAN AIR LINK WITH VENEZUELA
Three flights in a week have been put on schedule between Iran and Venezuela..

An agreement on the establishment of air transportation between Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was signed by Iranian Rezaii Niaraki, the acting director of the CAO and his Venezuelan counterpart.

SAINT VINCENT, AIR LINK WITH TEHRAN
A scheduled flight weekly has been established between Caracas, Venezuela and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. There is now a direct link between Iran and SVG, and with our dodgy passports, available to Venezuelans, Cubans, and Georgians, they must also be available to Iranians and even Hezbollah. There is a more than even chance that we are a stepping stone for Iranian and Hezbollah terrorists in such Countries as the US, Canada and the UK.

All countries should beware of the dodgy passport situation emanating from SVG, a flow of terrorists from SVG is a very real possibility.

MARXIST SCUM SUPPORTERS AND COLLABORATORS
There are a collection of so called Vincentian ULP activists, who are MARXIST in thought word and deed. They need to be watched by the appropriate authorities in whatever country they reside, they are dangerous people.

Horace Williams, how is the safe house situation? VINCYPOWA, it is well known that you are a supporter of this evil MARXIST scum ULP regime and their dirty actions, a man who protects all that is bad and evil in the ULP regime. VINCYPOWA do you play a part in this passport filth? are you an operative? Dr Byron-Cox who supports all the actions that GONSALVES takes, knowingly supports his behavior and lies.

copied to all appropriate authorities

Simon Anderson:

PETER, AH MEAN "SHORTMAN," BRIAN ALEXANDER, what did I tell you?

I told you that everyday, you will do as I command, and carry on in a long mad rant and rave. You did that very well today. GOOD!

Tomorrow, and each and every day, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, simply because I say so. .....UNDERSTOOD?

I say that you must carry on with that nonsense and show the readers just how foolish you are.

I don't want to tell them that. I want you to show them that for yourself, so you will do as I say, and do my work for me. Is that understood?

Brian you are a useless piece of crap. The most dense, ignorant and classically foolish excuse for a human being that could ever be found.

Brian Alexander, you don't even know your arm from your elbow. You have nothing between your ears, and need to be flushed.

STEVE_HUGGINS:

SOME fine and timely suggestions, Markie. Very constructive critique. A resplendent model of critical support.

Incidentally, one of these countries that I have noticed who have done fairly well in all this recent northern economic crisis, has been our friend CANADA.

Especially in light, too, of the current Visa imbroglio, it would be such a filip to our cause, and that of the OECS, if the PM should find it a matter of urgent immediacy to ACCEPT OUR INVITATION TO TRAVEL HIMSELF TO CANADA, in person, and conduct all the requisite meetings with supreme dispatch toward totally resolving this vexing VINCENTIAN PROBLEM.

I happen to know, of a definite certainty, that he would thereby PLEASE PETER TREMENDOUSLY, and might even lead to him converting to worshipful GONSALVES-ISM like EITHER 'Simon Anderson', falsely so-called, or, eh...hm, Mr. 'WILLY, whoever the hell he FRAUDulently is.

Just . . . GO DIRECTLY TO CANADA, 'comrade' - - - and FIX ALL WE PRABLEM DEM.

We dun know that you self go say that you NAR TUN BACK.

Yuh cairn say that man didn't PASS ON THE INVITE.

Den we hah 1000 ISLANDS VINCY PICNIC coming up again next SUMMER '13. Dem fellas say that lang time arwe nah even see yuh. Not that yuh not any langer the "SVG NATIONAL BIRD."

Just this lickle, lickle, trip, PAPA DOC, ley we see.

Peter:

THE CARIBBEAN PRIME MINISTER WITH THE YELLOW STRIPE, ITS NOT JUST SURFACE YELLOW IT GOES DEEP, AND CONTINUES RIGHT TO THE HEART OF HIS POLICIES.

Peter:

Just a reminder, least we forget.

In February 2008, a 36-year-old female cop, a member of the prime minister’s security detail, said he raped her on January 3 while she was on duty at his official residence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions officially discontinued any inquiry into the allegations without allowing the case to be heard before a court.
The cop later withdrew a civil suit, amidst rumours of an out-of-court settlement, even as Gonsalves denied the accusation.
In 2008, a Toronto human rights lawyer, 48, also accused the prime minister of sexually assaulting her during a private meeting in January 2003.
The Director of Public Prosecutions officially discontinued any inquiry into the allegations without allowing the case to be heard before a court.

Simon Anderson:

EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE MOST NOISE.

WE JUST HEARD THEM.

LIES WILL GET THEM NOWHERE!

STEVE_HUGGINS:

ARE YOU, Miss piggy, WILLY the Fraud, CALLING THE DPP A LIAR ?

A usually reliable professional news source, The LOS ANGELES TIMES, I believe, QUOTED THE DPP as clarifying officially that THERE WERE ACTUALLY FIVE SUCH RAPE ACCUSATIONS or ALLEGATIONS. He readily admitted that he, as DPP, DISALLOWED the RAPE case of the FEMALE POLICE OFFICER, SSU. He is also reported to have mentioned that FEMALE CANADIAN LAWYER'S RAPE ACCUSATION or ALLEGATION. The latter is a HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE, seeking and/or conducting an interview with the accused.

IN THE MOUTH OF TWO WITNESSES ?

TWO OFFICERS OF THE LAW ?

I do NOT know if anything untoward really happened, as charged or alleged in these cases. BUT, as responsible citizens of the State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, don't you think that all concerned, ACCUSED AND ACCUSERS, should have their fair, legal, time in court ?

Wouldn't THAT be the POSITION, POLICY, AND PRACTISE OF ANY SELF-RESPECTING PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT ?

THE stain, taint, and stigma, of these most disgraceful ALLEGATIONS, unprocessed by the courts, would always remain on the RECORD, and history, of our country. This country sorely need appropriate CLOSURE from those sordid matters.

It is my considered opinion, as a CONCERNED CITIZEN, that, IN THE INTEREST OF FULL TRANSPARENCY, that my cousin, the DPP, should NOT interpose himself INTO those and such-like 'cases' involving his erstwhile FORMER LEGAL CHAMBERS PARTNER, FELLOW FINANCIAL and/or EXECUTIVE ULP MEMBER, or a political ally who may have been the main personage who facilitated his appointments, or former appointments/nominations as SENATOR in the national parliament, SVG HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY - - - and as prolonged 'ACTING DDP', then later DPP. Similarly, this PRINCIPLED POSITION should be encouraged and followed too, in all cases involving the incumbent ULP administration/party functionaries VIS-A-VIS the official parliamentary Opposition NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ITS PARTY FUNCTIONARIES.

Not that I am in any way suggesting that anything is necessarily amiss or not legit in these "cases".

Just that WE IN SVG SHOULD ENDEAVOUR at all times TO AVOID EVEN THE "APPEARANCE" OF EVIL, SUBJECTIVITY, AND undue FAVOURITISM in the law and legal proceedings.

JUSTICE must not just be done, but, it MUST ALSO BE SEEN TO BE DONE.

LET US avoid all semblances of PARTIALITY in the professional, empirical, 'neutral' dispensing of justice in this fair land, SVG, with our historic motto of PAX ET JUSTITIA, i.e., Peace with Justice.

Of course in the local VINCENTIAN political milieu, any such SVG Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would NATURALLY BE SUBJECT TO UNDUE POLITICAL PRESSURES, STRESS, AND INFLUENCES. A position like that would understandably GENERATE UNTENABLE POLITICAL AND PERSONAL RAMIFICATIONS. A more neutral-looking actor or legal body ought, of necessity, be resorted to. A DPP appointed by a certain political regime may legally recuse themselves in such unprecedented circumstances.

This legal exception would be BETTER in keeping with the finest traditions of LEGAL ETHICS, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, and JUDICIAL PROFESSIONALISM.

There are certain RECORDS, still, of these ALLEGATIONS/ACCUSATIONS/'CHARGES' of RAPINE AND FELONIOUS SEXUAL ASSUALTS. Is this political party hack DENYING that such incidents occured ? Or, is he ACCUSING THE DPP and numerous SVG, OECS, CARIBBEAN, and extra-regional NEWS MEDIA of LYING ?!

Please try to be more discriminative in your POLITICAL LAP-DOG, SHAMELESSLY PAROCHIAL, MIND-LESSLY PARTISAN 'condemnations' and fraudulent castigations of "lying".

Of course, such is the province of MENDICANT, IDOLATROUS, SYCOPHANTS - - - to which you are obviously accustomed, and welcome.

It serves akin to "throwing water on a duck's back" to humble suggest, as an ordinary human being, that - - - as GRENADA'S eminent T.A. MARRYSHOW intoned: " THE RIGHT IS ALWAYS RIGHT and THE WRONG IS ALWAYS WRONG" !

Incidentally, did any one see the puny Miss Piggy WILLY, the BGA FRAUD, Simpleton Simon ['BLOW-HARD'] Anderson, at the INANE, INSANE, "Support RAPE !" RALLY in Kingstown, the other-day ???

It may surprise a politically prejudiced, biassed, BIGOT like the BGA Fraud to know that I do at least occassionally support the good that my detractors do. BUT, I strive to always have the temerity, the courage, the masculinity, THE COHONES ("bslls") to stand up and tell my friends, family, and colleagues THAT THEY ARE WRONG - - - WHEN THEY ARE WRONG.

Otherwise, HOW WILL THEY LEARN TO DO BETTER next time?

But, maybe you have FULL, PERFECT, KNOWLEDGE of the sordid matters.

I say: LET TRANSPARENCY SHINE THROUGH LIKE THE SUN IN FULL DAYLIGHT.

Give the aggrieved WOMEN their day in court.

As a fair national.

A police officer accused your boss of an eggregious FELONIOUS CRIME.

The police woman continued to work her police service job, with NO SANCTION EQUAL TO A CRIMINAL FALSE ACCUSATION in such-like cases.

Your political boss CONTINUES IN OFFICE, without any PARLIAMENTARY SANCTION, ARREST, OR HEARING IN COURT.

This calls for POLITICAL, PARLIAMENTARY, POLICE, AND JUDICIAL INVESTIGATIONS at the very highest levels. Something SERIOUS occured. Normalcy needs to be finally restored the SVG body politic.

This 2012 SVG NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE Anniversary, I posit that the PM should forthwith surrender his ministerial responsibilities to his Deputy/Cabinet, or the Governor General, and ALLOW PROPER, APPROPRIATE, NEUTRAL, AND CONSUMMATE INVESTIGATIONS TO BE CONDUCTED INTO THESE FIVE AND REPORTEDLY ADDITIONAL ACCUSATIONS OF FELONIOUS CONDUCT, and HIGH CRIMES AND DISDEMEANOURS, that have more recently been hurled against him. He absolutely deserves to have his good name cleared ONCE AND FOR ALL.

The business of Government and the pristine good name of St. Vincent and the Grenadines shall continue to suffer, as a default, THE LONGER THESE MORE OBJECTIVELY PRESSING MATTERS ARE NOT QUICKLY, AMICABLY, RESOLVED.

Let us do it, if for no other reason, at least for the future of our much-beloved State - - - for our children and SVG youth.

Quo vadis, SVG ? Whither goest thou, HAIROUNA ?

The PRICE of FREEDOM demands OUR ETERNAL VIGILANCE IN THESE LOVELY ISLES.

Redeem our national reputation, while there is still time to so do, MY FELLOW VINCENTIANS.