Group wants Bishop's killers to remain in jail

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada, (CMC):

A group calling itself 'We the Families and October 19th Martyrs Foundation" has launched a campaign calling for those convicted of murdering left wing prime minister Maurice Bishop and other members of his Cabinet in 1983 not to be released from prison.

A new venue has already been chosen for the re-sentencing of the 13 persons, including former Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard.

Court officials have set aside June 18-22 to deal with the re-sentencing phase that will be presided over by Justice Francis Belle.

Earlier this year, the London-based Privy Council ruled that the death sentences originally imposed on the 12 men and one woman were unconstitutional and that this also invalidated the process by which those sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment.

Agreement reached on voter registration

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

The Guyana government and the parliament opposition parties have signed a pact paving the way for house-to-house registration and guaranteeing holding of local government polls next year after a 14-year delay.

The agreement, signed on Thursday, ends years of public wrangling among the parties and will also guarantee a fresh National Register of Registrants (NRR) ahead of "all future elections", the government said in a statement.

The NRR has been a source of bitter contention among participating political groups here in every national and regional election since the late 1960s.

Chief Justice's case in 'cold storage'

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

The judicial review case brought by embattled Trinidad and Tobago Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma was placed on hold after a High Court judge ruled that no steps would be taken to proceed until the London-based Privy Council rules on a procedural point.

Sharma, who earlier this week was suspended from office by President George Maxwell Richards, had filed the judicial appeal as part of the ongoing legal wrangling between himself and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who is seeking to have him removed from office on the grounds of misbehaviour in office.

Sharma's lawyers had gone to the Privy Council, the country's highest court, challenging an earlier decision barring Manning and senior State officials including Attorney General John Jeremie, now acting Chief Justice Roger Hamel Smith and the Director of Public Prosecution Geoffrey Henderson from being cross-examined.

"How could we proceed further if there is an appeal on the issue of cross examination," asked Senior Counsel Russell Martineau, one of the lawyers for the embattled head of the local judiciary.

"If we proceed with it and then the Privy Council says there is to be cross-examination, we could have to start all over," he added.

Construction of international airport to start by yearend

NEW YORK, CMC - Construction of St Vincent and the Grenadines' new multi-million dollar international airport should get going by yearend, Minister of Tourism Glen Beache has announced.

Beache told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that government had already bought 85 per cent of the upscale properties needed for construction work to begin on the facility and deals should soon be reached with the owners of the remaining 15 per cent of properties.

"We are hoping that by August we would have purchased the other 15 per cent, after that we are hoping to start the land work around October to November hopefully. I know Cuba and Venezuela have already started to mobolise the equipment to get it into St Vincent and the Grenadines," he said.

Cuban diplomat disappointed at remarks made by opposition legislator

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC

A Cuban diplomat has expressed disappointment at recent statements made by an opposition legislator regarding the ongoing diplomatic relations between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Havana.

Opposition Senator St. Clair Leacock, addressing a recent rally of the New Democratic Party (NDP), said that while he had no disrespect for the struggle of the people of Cuba "I have disrespect for the intentions of the government with what they intend to do with the people of Cuba".

He said the government intended to "register the over 500 Cubans who would be here, and put them strategically in the constituencies that matter, and ensure that you continue to suffer and be victimised," he added.

US promises Caribbean speedy aid in event of disaster

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC - The United States is assuring Caribbean countries of its commitment to provide them with speedy humanitarian aid in the event of a severe impact by a hurricane this season.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Regional Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, Tim Callaghan, told journalist here that the US had instituted plans to respond to any situation within the first four to six hours after an impact.

He said a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) would be immediately available to provide "relief commodities such as medical supplies, hygiene kits, water containers and other such items their warehouse in Miami".

International media group condemns Antigua government over expulsion of journalists

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC

The international media watchdog group, Reporters Without Borders, yesterday expressed surprise that the Antigua and Barbuda government had expelled two Caribbean journalists on allegations that they broke the island's immigration laws.

Earlier this week, Trinidadian Vernon Khelawan, the former editor in chief of the ANTIGUA Sun newspaper and Dominican Lennox Linton, the former manager at the privately-owned Observer Radio, were expelled from the island.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the two Caribbean journalists were expelled because they failed to comply with immigration laws.