For well over two years now the reality has been hitting home that Montserrat needs to have a DISCUSSION. A discussion that must span several months and possibly years because there is so much to discuss, to learn and appreciate.

Many have come and visit in different categories. Some bring money, revenue to the island, fewer take money away in all forms and fashion. One thing they all, or at least nearly all say, Montserrat is a great place to visit. And, nearly all pay a departure tax, even though some do take away more than and in cases much more than the tax they pay.

So, is that worth a discussion? That is tiny compared to the many other topics that are waiting for consideration.

Sadly, there is this great fear of speaking one’s mind much less the truth, this fear that discussions will bring information to the front and there are those who do not wish that information and for that matter anyone to be educated about anything, not even what they need to exist. Knowledge is power and those who have power do not want anyone else to have it.

Do our English masters and civil servants have power.  No discussion is needed to figure that out. Has Montserrat been discussing what kind of Constitution it would like to, or ought to have? Who was and is responsible for that? Fear, greed and selfishness brought the island into a rather chaotic state.

But what is the single most pressing issue for Montserrat today? It all surrounds the very existence and livelihoods of the people, the economy. Not the Constitution, the consultation broke down when fear and the rest took over allowing other important matters to take over the minds.

A couple weeks ago when the worse was evident, Chief Minister Meade volunteered a statement in the Legislature and told that the Department for International Development (DFID) had been giving ‘trivial’ reasons for withholding project funding. That should have sparked a serious discussion, since the Chief Minister was making that statement fully aware of the many sayings and conversations that have been emanating from the suffering and the threatened, and even those comfortable ones.

The CM would have encouraged a discussion had he had told what the trivial reasons were. It may well be he didn’t want that discussion but may well have thought as usual it was enough to make the statement to ward off any offensive. The CM and his 700 plus ‘public servants’ must do better than what has become more than the norm and be more forthcoming with information, especially that which impacts every one.

The DFID lady Sue Wardell in her first visit in 2009 when she spoke to the press raised some issues when she spoke about the aid that Montserrat receives from the UK. The subject of her discourse was sad enough, but when she said, “If I’m losing my job and I’m losing my house, why are you giving money to other countries?” She was referring to tax payers in the UK, but she did not say those words as if this was a country that had the responsibility to do just that. Everything else she said surrounding that statement should have sparked much discussion and action.

She was speaking in context of the ‘world’s economic downturn’ and what it meant for Montserrat. “…you find a lot of countries that are dependent on British aid are coming and saying please help us with more, please give us more,” she lamented.

She then said what that meant for Montserrat. “Well, we actually provide a significant amount of the budget support of the budget in Montserrat…,” and speaking about the currency exchange, “you’ve actually seen a 30% reduction to this and actually the amount of money you were expecting in terms of the purchasing power of sterling…I explained to them that this isn’t just an issue for Montserrat.  It’s for all of the Overseas Territories where we provide assistance but for many other countries across the world.”
The problem with that was that our leaders just went away and cried and said and did nothing. Oh for some honest and holistic representation.

She had said at the time also that DFID had its shortcomings in delivering aid to Montserrat and she admitted that again this year February, but declared that a change was coming in that regard. In addition, she urged that we wait and see how our public servants who she thought showed in her discussions with them the potential for ‘capacity’, would react in getting projects on stream and completed. She had said all the right things and looked forward to ‘good’ things from the new government, in power for five months, but had not held a press conference to that day.

She did say, “You know we have to get certain standards enforced.” Did we really know what she was speaking about? What has changed since Sue Wardell left in February with a promise that DFID would boost up its method of delivery? Projects were enumerated. Little Bay project in doubt! Public servants do little or nothing to help, that is not their style, but the CM after calling on the private sector to shape up or ship out, reverts to the public sector who must now set the example, which they have all failed to deliver on especially since 1998.

There has been an unusual chumminess in some quarters, and it seems now it is all much of the same. Let us see who will be willing to provide some answers and some information that may well spark the discussion that is so needed in this place.

Please explain why go into debt as against making positive investment

The Honourable Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade called only his second press conference since he took office in mid-September last year, the first one in February this year. That is surprising, but Governor Waterworth who had at the beginning of his tenure in 2007 had promised that he would be quite ready to meet with the press especially that he had expected the press to keep him in check as he expected for the government ministers. He has only gone two, none for all of last year.

A quick answer to any question as to why this has continued so long, the one arm of the media, which is government owned is very well taken care of while resources for the rest of the media which are private are scarcer than the press conferences they have had. They contribute to that poverty because ignorance on the one hand and misconceived benefit on the other guide all round. They prefer not hear from or about any other media than that which they control. Part of this also is that we do have a public that have become quite lethargic and backward in their interests, driven by fears of being relegated to a worse position than they currently experience.

Another point is that some officials are fund of telling the public through the government organs pretty much anything they want to tell them. Problem with that, it still leaves the public wanting for information and answers to questions that do concern them.

At the press conference which was held last Wednesday afternoon, the CM came prepared to talk about the new Public Sector Management initiative that he had been talking about ever since he took office. It is worrisome that he had to get that deep into this matter especially there has been workshop after workshop on public sector reform. It seems to be progressing little and it may well be the problem is having public sector trying to reform itself.

Coming out of the press conference was one issue that seems confusing as it was very surprising to learn after all the publicity that had been given to the development and procurement of geothermal energy, as a great economic booster for Montserrat, the government according to the Chief Minister did not see this as any priority within the next five years.

The progress towards this development took new life when an Energy Committee was created to take this matter forward involving CRM (Committee for  the Redevelopment of Montserrat) who had been spearheading the geothermal energy thrust. They had intervened and prevented what was heading to certain disaster when the John Osborne government was ready to sign away Montserrat’s rights and privileges to an off-shore concern. That same concern had begun working with Nevis in a similar venture which little is heard of now.

The CM was responding to a question about geothermal energy which came out of his response to the question, “what do you see as the main economic driver for Montserrat over the next five years?”
Geothermal energy development appeared nowhere in his response to the question, but he then explained when asked, “Geothermal was not spoken of within that five-year framework. We have invited MUL (Montserrat Utilities Ltd.) to take the process forward. We have indicated to MUL to go ahead, have the discussions, seek out the investments and the investors and move the process forward, government will provide the support.”

He explained further: “We do not anticipate that will happen in under five years and hence the reason I did not speak to it within the five year period as the question demanded.”

What is surprising, and some serious answers with information are needed. While it has been obvious for a long time that some steadiness is needed in the island’s electricity supply, finally it is being decided to take the country into debt, for something that cannot be considered an investment, but will bring more strain on the island and its people, instead of vigorously pursuing an investment that has been agreed in several ways, will bring considerable savings and benefit to the island?

Why should Montserrat borrow $30 million when it would take less to have geothermal energy which can eventually bring money to the island? The utility bills will go up. For ten years previous governments have resisted this burden on the people and HMG has been willing to assist in the geothermal exploration. And why not? There are benefits.

It would be very interesting to see the economic analysis and financials that would encourage our government to put the geothermal idea on the side burner for outside of five years. What is the catch?

Giving flowers to the living
On Sunday evening, July 11, 2010 the Ministry of Education conducted a Recognition Ceremony, could have been the first of its kind, when they simply honoured and recognised the services of a few persons who were retiring, either had retired or had resigned from their services.

The ceremony was simple and the Minister of Education, Health and Community Services Colin Riley stood throughout the presentation and gave out the awards and Certificates to the very deserving employees.

They ranged from a retiring Director of Education, to a retiring Bus Conductress and a maintenance officer. Some persons had given over 40 years service and some only two years, these last resigning and moving on.

Mention is made that the Ministry and the organizers are to be congratulated extensively for the honour  bestowed on these persons who listened to citations which were shared with the invited guests, other employees and friends. These people were reminded that they were and are appreciated because they had done well while they are alive and well to hear it said, being told to them and shared by others. This is especially so because far too often it is only at a funeral one learns of someone’s achievements and how well they have served their people. It makes that saying all so relevant, “please give me my flowers while I am alive.”

Montserrat Constitution
In the meantime may we take a flash back at the Montserrat Constitution which the Government wanted to foist upon the people with the little hidden self interest clauses that would serve themselves and keep them in power for as long as they still had the privilege to make laws that govern how elections took place, when and where. It has been almost a month and where is the program to do what should have been done for the last three years at least.

It should be obvious now that the Government did not willingly accede to any request for more discussions and input. They pretty much had little choice and time simply happened to be in the people’s favour with the Privy Council uncertain timing to review the ‘backward’ Constitution.

The lone opposition member and hopefully the former Chief Minister now in opposition have the job to harness the desires to look at and correct the efforts to thrust a selfish mesh of desires on people under the guise that they were elected to make the decisions for them. No, not a Constitution.

Upon serious reflection, and in any case, it is now believed that Montserrat should go the Anguilla route. That is let the British as it has done in the past hand down their Constitution for Montserrat, rather than pretend modern partnership which is in any case one-sided. If not the Anguilla route, then carefully look at the Tortola’s Constitution and improve upon it.

That is so because those who were asked to review what the Constitution Commission had done, make additional, change or correct clauses to meet the aspirations of Montserrat and to meet “’the present aspirations and expectations of the people of Montserrat’, as Sir Howard had written in the Commission’s report”. These expectations may well have and should have changed since 2002. Time does that to things and people.

Sir Howard had also written in that report, “We believe that HMG welcomes any aspiration which Montserratians might have for self-determination and are willing to assist them in the preparatory process… The new Constitution must be based on principle and especially that fundamental principle of self-determination so vital to a people in a long and checkered march out of the night of slavery into the daybreak of real freedom.”

So that any Constitution that this government seeks to send to Britain that does not speak to speak to the above should be discredited, and unsupported. The Privy Council should know that it does not represent the wishes and desires of the Montserrat people.

It is by no means too late to make that expression known especially that it has been spoken about and mentioned there. There needs to be some specificity as to the expectations of these people to want some day to be able to make some self-determined decisions. Obviously anything less is saying to the world that for the foreseeable future Montserrat wishes to be colonials.

Back in 1999 the United Kingdom (HMG) government issued a White Paper which spoke to a new and modernised partnership between them and their Overseas territories (Colonies). They said that this had evolved out of the volcanic crisis that had besieged Montserrat. The White Paper had set out a number issues that they intended to ‘partner’, good governance, their obligations and responsibilities, etc. This was indicated: “Like every partnership, ours involves shared responsibilities and obligations.”

In 2001, to show that they no longer wanted to dictate to their Colonies, they offered them the opportunity to review their Constitutions and to modernise it as they saw fit. However, this offer was subject to their approval and they set out a Check-list as to which matters, what and how the territories should proceed with their proposals for a modernised Constitution. Not all things were pertinent to Gibraltar. This Check-list MUST be shared with the public. Not just read on radio but put in print and not just on the internet either; if the intention is to have the widest possible information, education and discussion among the people.

Montserrat, if not the first, was among the first, to receive their guidelines. But now it appears that Montserrat will be the last to finalise their modernised Constitution and that is causing some concern and right now perhaps, serious ones, since finally it is being realised that the Reuben Meade government is willing to accept some ‘farcical’ changes, following several rounds of ‘talks, negotiations’ which only legislators (not all of them at times) have said yes to. (See Check-list item)

The stage had been set, but later in December, 2005, UK Secretary of State Jack Straw told the delegates of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in England: “The Constitutional Review process will help us ensure that we get the right balance of rights and responsibilities between us.  For as long as the territories want, the UK will maintain our firm commitment to our partnership and the obligations that go with it.  But equally, we cannot offer an ever-increasing degree of autonomy which would prevent us from meeting those obligations and from protecting our liabilities and responsibilities.”

By this time, Montserrat had run the initial course and a report submitted by a Constitutional Review Commission headed by Dr. Sir Howard Fergus. The proposals in the report did not meet the full approval. The legislators by this time in 2003 felt that more was needed.

Repeatedly, in that report The Commissioners wrote and referred to that word “self determination”: “We believe that HMG welcomes any aspiration which Montserratians might have for self-determination and are willing to assist them in the preparatory process,” Fergus wrote.
“The new Constitution must be based on principle and especially that fundamental principle of self-determination so vital to a people in a long and checkered march out of the night of slavery into the daybreak of real freedom.”

The government should now provide in a far more sincere manner, honestly the Check-list, that first report, and all the changes that were made, as well as the additions that have been secretly made between 2006 and now, after Dr. Lewis broke the secrecy and presented what up to then had been the new draft.

It is fooling the people to say, it will be discussed on radio and placed on the internet. This MUST be given full viewing and every means of getting this to the people should be used. Mr. Government your technical advisers will tell you that these should be available in PRINT. Anything that goes on all the web sites in Montserrat will not have the reach it should unless placed on the most popularly viewed  web site, The Montserrat Reporter. The web site gets more viewership than all of Montserrat’s other web sites put together. That is obvious, the statistics can’t lie. After all its been there ONLINE since 1996. Google Montserrat and get an idea.

It takes time years for a web site to become known. A link on the TMR web site means more viewership. Your technicians can confirm that and have done so time and time again. And please stop fooling the people. Your director in this area confirmed to the world that only 250 people at any given time can tune in to ZJB on line.

Note: The last clause of the Checklist outlines that this Government must convince HMG that the Constitution has reached the majority, who must express their knowledge and support.

There are so many things deceptive, dishonest and corrupt about some if not most of our politicians, older folks would say, ‘no wonder’ tings de way dem be ya; “things the way they are here.” It is as though there is something specially different for them, when it comes to truth, honesty and just being decent.

We won’t labour on the point, but it is possible to excuse the Ministers and some other legislators who believe that once they are elected, they then have the right to complete autonomy in decision making on behalf of those who elected them. Perhaps sometimes they should remember that less than half of the voters voted for them, so there are others who do not think they are fit enough to vote for.

Some concerned members of the public followed Don Romeo’s lead to say that it is wrong to, after so many, especially recent years of silence in not informing, discussing or consulting on clauses in a new Constitution Order, for Government to take the matter to the Legislative Council, where there are six members forming Government against three opposition members, one of whom might as well have crossed the floor when he joined in the deception. The deception and the lie is, not that discussions did not take place, but not with the community, the people.

John Wilson, former legislator in a call to ZJB, put it so right as he admitted that eight years is a long time to be discussing anything. But, the truth is as he puts it, kindly, “to say to say that this matter has been in front of the public‘s attention continuously for any sustained period of time would be false.”

Every person who argued to the contrary, knew they were wrong, but tried to cover up their intention to satisfy the British and their own personal benefits from having the Resolution go forward that would tell the British that Montserrat has opted to remain as a colony with the nice name of Premier, instead of Chief Minister; and some glossy changes to the “Governor’s powers’.
Education on the matter would have told everyone that as long as Britain remained the colonial master, it goes with the status to maintain absolute control in respect of anything, especially with matters for which Britain has responsibility.

At best, our so called government negotiators were being conned, once the argument that former Chief Minister David Brandt and former MP Chedmond Browne had put forward, that any ‘update’ to the 1989 Constitution Order that did not address the minimum of, such as Free Association that gives Montserrat some measure of control of their future destiny, was not advancing the Constitutional Status. Neither would it meet the deconolisation mandate of the United Nations.

That means that anything that this government were able to get that lessens the Governor’s powers which means the FCO’s stranglehold would be negligible;  Meaningless, as far as the Colonial master is concerned, since there are ‘more ways than one to skin a cat’, especially if it was already skinned, as in Montserrat’s and some other OTs case.

One past retired Civil Servant feels that little is achieved if at least some issues are not addressed. The suggest that it should be, “incorporated in the Constitution a measure similar to Switzerland’s constitutional practice whereby on presentation a petition signed by an agreed percentage of citizens, issues of national importance must be decided by referendum; giving every person a vote on the matter. Situations of perceive use of arbitrary power by any government also, the Constitution may even provide mechanisms for the government recall by the people via referendum and subsequent elections.”

We said before, “The Constitution is a document for the people as opposed to an individual. Therefore, can it be right for any politician to argue for a particular aspect of a Constitution that benefits him or others like him.”

So too, the Integrity Bill is a matter which seeks to ensure good governance.  That matter has been tampered with in the draft Constitution and while the outcome we are looking for from the Resolution delay is this: let Britain give us the new Constitution. If our legislators after being conned ‘must’ approve it, an objection that this does not meet our true desire, that is, to have some Constitutional advancement that allows ‘some form of self-determination.’

———
We need not labour the point but it is almost a downright lie.

Chief Minister thought when he discussed in Committee they spoke for the entire people.
Governor… with Montserrat that their will then be a process of discussion , a process of continued public consultation here on island eventually agreement on some sensible changes to the constitution.

It doesn’t take too much to be corrupt. Just be selfish and the product is corruption. When the integrity bill was debated, parliamentarians stressed on how easy it was to be corrupt and they pointed out that while it was so easy to make it appear that only politicians are thought to be corrupt. It was very easy for many others within the public service to be corrupt or lack integrity all the way to the top.

Corruption is not just about the perpetration of wrong doing – it’s also about all the people who know about it and do nothing to change-  but wait for their turn to share the benefits of ill gains – if at all it can indeed be seen as beneficial.

This past week has been one that many people may well regret they did not pay attention to what has been going on around them as the Government they elected get locked in a lop-sided argument over the draft Constitution to be tabled for passage on Tuesday next week at the Legislative Council meeting.

The major opposition to the Constitution Bill being presented at all, is that since the ‘final’ talks with the British ‘negotiation’ team when CM Meade announced that the draft was taken to Britain and when it returned it would be made available for publicity and information ONLY.

The argument that what was needed is consultation or discussion of new issues which for years have not been discussed with the people is the crucial point that has been missed and over which many dishonest and ignorant points of discussion of facts have occurred.

It is ridiculous and misleading for anyone to say when discussion on a matter like a Constitution takes place to say, “if after giving your suggestions to your legislator and he votes without taking heed,” especially if a majority of people have expressed their feelings on the matter, that you can then vote them out of office, when the time comes round five years later. A Constitution, that is a lifetime matter? Compared with a matter that can be reversed in one sitting of Legislative Council. If that is how the Government feels about the matter then it demonstrates that they do not deserve the honour bestowed upon them at the election.

The Attorney General by saying that all of his staff are ‘trained’ in Constitutional matters insults the profession and worse yet the people to whom he tells this. Just about every lawyer does a course in Constitution. Also to suggest that the change of name from Chief Minister to Premier is anything more than exactly that in terms of power or status is to mislead people with mere words, when the more important issue of being able to govern oneself is left wanting.

The argument that the people have even been over-consulted because at the beginning it was taken to all over for Montserratians to discuss, is leaving out the real truth of the matter. Since the 2001/2002 Fergus Commission submitted its report on the Constitutional consultations and the John Osborne government decided (at the lead of the present CM) to deal with matters such as an acceptable description of “Montserratian” as well as some issues personal to some legislators, there has been VERY LITTLE discussion and consultation done. It has been left to a committee that ran out of steam very quickly. For the last two years until now there has not been a word about discussing the Constitution except that a Committee of the Legislature has at almost every Council meeting talked to some sticking matter, secret to the people. We remind of our own calls on the government to discuss with the people those issues that had been holding up the Constitution draft progress.

There is a petition being signed on-line at www.mnialive.com, to force a delay on the passage of this most significant Bill, which can take a lifetime to amend once past. A last ditch appeal is being made to FCO by MP Romeo seeking “a more deliberative and transparent, people-empowering  process for finalisation of our draft Constitution over the next several months.”

CM Meade is comfortable with the Constitution which it is believed is what he traded to get the entrustments to sign on to the OECS and CARICOM treaties. It pleases the British to have Montserrat okay the draft Constitution now, is to dishonestly satisfy the United Nations. (See our previous Editorial.)

Coming up is a statement that, “tries to make people care by showing them how the Constitution links to the economy and their survival”; and there are accusations directed at CM Meade, “he is hijacking the constitutional process for his own personal political gain, thinking that when OECS Economic Union is signed he will be able to sell enough advantages to appear a hero and great negotiator…”

See front page story for more on the Constitutional issue, and other areas in this week’s issue as much as we are constrained by print space.

June 18, 2010

This past week the Reuben Meade Government seems to be taking on board the fact that offering the concluded draft Constitution Order which has made its way back with the British ‘Constitution Negotiators’ to Britain and back again to Montserrat, is far from ready to be ‘passed’ by the Montserrat Legislature.

There has been this week quite some posturing on radio by public servants including the Hon. Attorney General all of whom seem bent on misrepresenting, protecting and defending the government for the state of the lack of consultation that has taken place to date.

It appears that must Montserrat young and newly politician Donaldson Romeo is winning the battle that we have been promoting, that no form of Constitution should be agreed to, which the public has not had a chance to learn and understand, and even be given a chance to say, they accept or reject.

It is possible that, and in fact it goes beyond that, as one of the public servant former politician accuses The Montserrat Reporter’s editor not wanting to see government achieve or push forward matters that have been hanging for a while. The discussions and planning of this ‘new’ Constitution document intended to replace the 1989 Constitution Order have been around since 2002. It came to a halt more or less two years ago when, a Committee chaired at one point by Claude Hogan and on which this Editor was a member, recommended that the document had gone as far is it could go.

There were some consultations prior to that, but since then none has taken place. The media (Peoples Television (PTV) and The Montserrat Reporter (TMR) in particular questioned, and was told soon after about issues which the British ‘negotiators’ said were matters to be brought to the public by the legislators. WE have repeatedly published that fact but nothing has been done until now, the government said the document was done and they would present it for the public’s information.

Dr. Lewis has accused the MCAP legislators of his government to have held up or prevent the progress of the Constitution. He wrote: “The MCAP team virtually stopped me from concluding the Constitution  agreement during my term as Chief Minister,”   accusing the Chief Minister also for indicating that, “he does not need the opposition to settle the matter.”

There is the accusation that the latest position is the result of a departure from the planned process over recent years. We know also that there has been much delay tactics while individual legislators got their personal desires met before the final draft could even be discussed with the British. Some of the persons seeking to push with the use of veiled and hypocritical words have doubted privately that there will ever be any Constitution for Montserrat, which is exactly where matters lay currently.

Several interested and prominent persons have lost interest having observed the reality that the new draft Constitution does not position Montserrat to achieve what the United Nations have mandated in its decolonisation policies. The British government began by changing the name from Colony to ‘Dependent Territories and then Overseas Dependent…, no different than they are willing to change the name of Chief Minister to Premier.

It seems now the negotiations over the Constitution has been a letdown for Montserrat, since our government is willing to say yes to an upgraded Constitution with elaborating, nice, new and descriptive words which fail to meet any of the United Nations suggestion for progression to self independence, or governance. None of these three mandates are promised in this new draft. 1. Emergence of a sovereign independent State; 2. Free Association with an independent State; and 3. Integration with an independent State.

The last eight years should have been spent seeking and demanding one of these. The very least would have been that the people would have been positioned to say, yeah or nay to something. At least offer some decent consultation and change the rushed date for passing this draft.