Privy Council rules against legislator PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
The London-based Privy Council has ruled against opposition United National Congress legislator, Chandresh Sharma, who had brought a judicial review motion "in the public interest" against the Integrity Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.
Sharma had argued that the commission's decision to not require the declaration of income, assets and liabilities for the year 2002 had been unlawful.
But in a ruling handed down earlier this week, the Privy Council, the island's highest court, ordered Sharma to pay the commissions' costs as well as the costs in relation to a discontinued motion he had withdrawn in relation to the commission's publicly available Register of Interests.
Panday in new bid to return to Parliament
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
Lawyers for former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday have filed a petition in the High Court seeking to determine his eligibility to sit in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament.
The lawyers are asking the court to rule that the "vacancy petition" be dismissed on the ground that the phrasing of the question referred to in the High Court by the House of Representatives is defective.
The motion to dismiss the petition suggests that the question which was referred to the High Court for resolution was unfair to Panday, since it disregarded the legal effect of the Appeal Court's ruling which quashed his conviction on charges of failing to declare a London Bank account to the Integrity Commission, while he served as prime minister in 1997, 1998 and 1999. The Appeal Court has ordered a re-trail.
Opposition wants CJ's suspension revoked
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
An opposition legislator has called on President George Maxwell Richards to revoke the suspension of embattled Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma, because of uncertainty surrounding the operations of a tribunal appointed to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.
Sharma, 64, was suspended from his duties on June 13, by President Richards acting on advice from Prime Minister Patrick Manning. The chief justice has been accused by Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls of attempting to influence the decision of a criminal case against former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.
In a letter to President Richards, attorney Cindy Bhagwandeen, acting on behalf of opposition United National Congress legislator, Chandresh Sharma, said it was "unclear whether a tribunal appointed to investigate the Chief Justice was properly constituted."
St Kitts PM says conference a success
WASHINGTON (CMC):
St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas has described the just concluded three-day conference on the Caribbean as an "overwhelming success," saying it reinvigorated the spirit of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at the headquarters of the Organisation of American States on Thursday, Douglas said "Washington may never be the same again. As the Caribbean Community reached out and into the diaspora, the conference caused a reverberation, a revitalisation and a rekindling of hope in the future of the Caribbean region and its peoples."
Central American health ministers meet
BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC):
Health Ministers from Central America have ended a two-day day meeting here that examined ongoing preparations to deal with an outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus as well as strengthening existing cooperation.
Health Minister Jose Cove, who chaired the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America, said that it also discussed health matters confronting the region.
"We have looked at a policy for example, a regional policy for medications wherewe can strengthen our position in the purchasing, in the market, and of course to bring down the cost of medication because it is well known to be a high cost in the health sector."
Antigua to apply for remedies in dispute
WASHINGTON (CMC):
Antigua and Barbuda says it will apply to the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organisation for "certain remedies" in its ongoing Internet gaming dispute with the United States.
A government statement said Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer raised the island's concern during Wednesday's summit between Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and U.S. President George W. Bush.
"It was pointed out that Antigua and Barbuda is willing to reach an amicable settlement with the United States on the issue," the statement said.
Ruling party supports statement made by A-G
ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
The ruling New National Party (NNP) has defended statements made by Attorney-General Elvin Nimrod in regards to the re-sentencing of 13 persons convicted of murdering former Grenada Prime Minister Maurice Bishop in 1983.
Speaking at a political meeting earlier this month, Nimrod said that the Keith Mitchell government would be doing all within its powers to ensure that the so-called 'Grenada 13', that includes former Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard, remainin jail.
St Vincent police say carnival will be safe
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (CMC):
St. Vincent and the Grenadines police yesterday gave the assurance that the annual carnival celebrations will be safe this year even as they said stricter measures would be employed.
"We are going to do more than we did last year to ensure that Carnival is safe," Assistant Commissioner of Police Ronald Christopher said.
He said that over the last seven years, the police had implemented a number of initiatives and that last year had been a very good year with reference to the number of incidents occurring during the season.
