November 10, 2009

Source: BBC Caribbean

10 November, 2009 – Published 21:57 GMT

BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Reform campaign heats up

With just 15 days to go, campaigning is heating up in St Vincent and the Grenadines as the country prepares to vote in a 25 November referendum that could usher in a new constitution.

The campaign is divided between the YES camp of the governing Unity Labour Party and the NOs led by the opposition New Democratic Party.

Some of the proposed changes in the new constitution are the replacement of the Queen by a local president as head of state and the introduction of a mixed past the post and proportional representation system for elections.

St Vincent’s Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams says under the new constitution the executive arm of government will be made more accountable.

He says steps have been taken to ensure that the executive arm does not dominate the legislature.

Air tax lobby goes to UK parliament

Caribbean tourism ministers in London for the World Travel Market are planning to emphasise their displeasure with Britain’s controversial air tax increase.

The ministers are scheduled to meet with some British parliamentarians at the House of Commons on Wednesday, to reiterate their concerns about the air passenger duty hike that took effect on the first of November.

Caribbean states, travel agents in the UK, airlines and lobby groups all argue that the air tax will deal a serious blow to tourism in Britain, the Caribbean and elsewhere.

St Lucia’s opposition leader Kenny Anthony says he doubts the British government will abandon the air tax.

Former prime minister Anthony is predicting instead that the rest of Europe will also implement similar measures.

French territories’ concerns addressed

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a package of measures for the development of overseas territories including Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean.

He announced the 137 measures after the first meeting of an inter-ministerial council that examined matters coming out of the social crisis in the French Antilles earlier this year, when Both Guadeloupe and Martinique were shut down by strike action.

Mr Sarkozy said the crisis compelled France to rethink the relationship between the overseas territories and the mainland.

Power sharing debate revived

Efforts are being made in Guyana to revive debate about the need for power-sharing in a country divided politically between two major races.

The afro-Guynaese backed Peoples National Congress which lost power in 1992, accuses the mainly East Indian supported Peoples Progressive Party government of discrimination against black Guyanese.

The areas of alleged discrimination include employment practices, awarding of contracts, extra-judicial killings and the allocation of housing lands.

They are allegations that the Guyana government has repeatedly denied.

Preparing for disaster

A new report has suggested that rich nations should do more to help vulnerable countries prepare for natural disasters.

The just published Humanitarian Response Index 2009 says the developed world should act if they want their stretched humanitarian funds to go further during the economic downturn.

The report published by non-profit organisation Development Assistance Research Associates, DARA, ranked 22 wealthy nations and the European Union on the effectiveness of their aid efforts.

DARA says more effective use of public money and greater quality and impact in humanitarian aid have never been more important, given the global economic crisis.

The study wants wealthy states to increase investment in measures to prevent disasters and ease their impact to maximise the value of aid.