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Friday, June 22, 2012
Letters/Opinion
EDITORIAL A Motion of No Confidence on today’s issues reliving old ones It will not be the first time that a Motion of No Confidence will be tabled in the Montserrat parliament, but for firsts and for the history books, it will be the first in the new titled Legislature, now called the Legislative Assembly. Some speakers have never had the privilege of refereeing the type of debate procedures which this instance will afford to the legislators. Sir Howard Fergus has had the privilege on at least two or more occasions, having at one time made history of sorts when he pointed out to the governing side who were so accustomed to saying ‘aye’, that to say aye to the motion was agreeing to the motion to oust them. Maybe it wasn’t a mistake after all, and maybe the mistake was to have noted. But in those seats fairness and certainty will always be the winner. Next week Premier Meade will face a Motion of No Confidence against his leadership. One that is different in the sense that the Motion is not necessarily designed to change the Government. The opposition will have no regrets or hesitation to make accommodations should enough members or any members of the Government side will concur with their arguments. What is somehow strange about this is the silence from government and people as they anxiously wait. That tells a story. Sometimes, governments can change in other circumstances that deny them the majority of seats in the Legislature; like one or more members abandoning the government side and ‘crossing the floor’. What is very interesting and noteworthy since it does highlight a serious problem surrounding the Premier time and time again as been accused of ‘one mannism’, a phrase that his 2009 Manifesto noted as a bad thing to be avoided should he form the government. That is what he is being acused of in this Motion of No Confidence, but interestingly back in 1994 when he was Chief Minister one of his Ministers in David Brandt left his government, nearly toppling the government, accusing him of ‘one mannism’ and over issues quite similar to those being highlighted in this motion. That time Noel ‘Dada’’ Tuitt, now deceased, rescued his government. By time the next election came around he was left with only himself and his faithful Hon Charles Kirnon. Brandt had accused him among several other things: “You have taken action on very serious matters without consulting with your colleagues-sometimes even failing to inform us of what you had done until we heard about it on the street.” “In your address, you admit that you were not appropriately advised on the full impact of the CET and that you may have been “inadequately briefed.” “You misrepresented the discussions that you were having with CDB and I heard on Radio Montserrat…You subsequently had to cancel the loan.” During the debate, similar accusations will be aired, but the curse of our politics will not permit any outcome other than that of self preservation, and never the people’s interest of the country in general. A former Minister, described as anonymous, has given an explanation that should meet almost all the questions anyone might wish to have answered about No Confidence motions. It is published within the newspaper. Among other lessons that might come out of the debate, ethics and morality will be challenged. The public will likely hear matters raised that they ordinarily would probably not hear during regular parliamentary debates because of the restrictions via ‘standing orders’ and the like. The issues cited in the motion to be debated cannot avoid bring these into the ring. The secrecy over bringing an industry to the island which should be cleared and carefully considered since Montserrat must honour World Health Organisation (WHO) Conventions. It is that organization that warn: “Tobacco has long surpassed AIDS as the world’s leading agent of death.”Why should Montserrat say yes secretly or otherwise to manufacturing such commodity?
The Montserrat Reporter Published by: Montserrat Printing & Publishing, Inc. - Editor: Bennette Roach Office: Davy Hill, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 306, Davy Hill, Montserrat, W.I. Typeset and Printed by Montserrat Printing & Publishing, Inc. - monp_p@candw.ms. Tel. (664) 491-4715 Fax: (664) 491-2430 E-mail: editor@themontserratreporter.com or monrep@candw.ms - Web Site: http://www.themontserratreporter.com
Irish in Montserrat Dear Editor, With all due respect, I must take exception to the article by The Man from Baker Hill in the 08 June 2012 edition of the Reporter in which he disparages the use of the shamrock and “the lady with the harp” on our flag; he’s apparently unaware of the importance of the Irish in Montserrat’s history. The symbols in question feature Erin, the female personification of Ire-
land, and the golden harp, another symbol of Ireland. These reflect the island’s Irish heritage. During the mid1600s the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat and at that time seventy percent (70%) of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves. Slaves, not “indentured servants.” This was news to me when I first learned of it, so I
did some extensive research and decided that their story should be told, eventually writing (fiction based on fact) about it. I have no serious preference one way or the other about The Man from Baker Hill’s suggestions regarding the flag, but thought I should call his attention to the historical significance behind what he wishes to replace. Sally Simpson
UNICEF visit cont’d. from page 2 and childhood services. It was also gratifying she added that the Ministry of Education was also reaching out to engage stakeholders on meeting the needs of babies from zero to one year, which is that
critical time when the brain is just developing. The UNICEF representative said Montserrat has to deal with the same phenomenon of children of migration as other Caribbean territories and the need for qualified teachers.
In addressing the one possible solution she said, “We need to have stronger social statistics to capture this information so it can be used to design a short to medium term strategic plan on these issues.”
Properties in Plymouth stripped of windows, wire and copper Governor warns of illegal and unauthorised entry to Plymouth by TMR staff On June 19, 2012 GIU issued a release from the Governor’s Office which warned, “If anyone is found in Zone V, apart from those sand miners who have been given permission to do so, they are liable to arrest and will appear before the Magistrate.” This warning comes on the heels of complaints by sand mining officials that there are other persons conducting activities other sand mining or just visiting. “We do not notice that they are operating under the same strict guidelines as we are,” this unanimous informant points out.
The Governor’s statement confirms the presence of unauthorized persons, but it is believed that besides the unauthorized presence of these persons the activities suggest that organized and perhaps illegal activities continue to take place in Plymouth. In the December 30, 2011 issue of TMR in an article captioned “wire scrap metal export is big business” (see “http:// www.themontserratreporter.com/wirescrap-metal-export-big-business/) we reported that persons were collecting and
cont’d. on page 7
Our Scripture Verse Today Which Are You? Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. - Psalm 103:2 (NRSV) We can easily praise God when we feel blessed or in good condition. However, can we still praise God if we face strife? Can we keep our faith if we do not sense God’s help? These questions reminded me of an illustration. If carrots, eggs, and coffee beans are boiled, the effect on each item will be different. The carrots will soften, the eggs will harden, and the coffee beans will change the color of the water and spread a delicious aroma. The boiling water symbolizes problems or pressures in our life. The carrots, eggs, and coffee beans symbolize different human reactions to
problems or pressures. The soft carrots represent people who grumble, complain, and pity themselves when faced with problems. The hardened eggs represent those who become stubborn, rebellious, and angry at God during tribulations. But the coffee beans represent people who obey and trust God, changing the atmosphere around them while spreading the fragrance of Christ. God offers to each of us faith greater than any problem we face. The magnitude of the problem is not as important as our reaction to the problem. Our faith determines how we will respond as we meet the challenges of daily life — as a carrot, a hard-boiled egg, or a coffee bean.