Caribbean & Central America - October 2011 (ISSN 1741-4458)

***MONTSERRAT GETS NEW CONSTITUTION AND PM. On 25 September, Reuben Meade, 57, became the first Prime Minister of the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. He was sworn in using the newly ratified constitution, approved earlier this year by seven votes in favor and two against in the nine-member Legislative Council. At his investiture, Meade said that the population had been given the opportunity to participate in the drafting of the new constitution since discussions to reform the 1989 Constitution had began in earnest in 2001.

Although Meade said the document was far from perfect and that “we must continue the work of improving the document over time”, Governor Adrian Davis said the UK government was not considering any amendments at this point. Donaldson Romero has become the first opposition leader and will be the head of the Public Accounts Committee. He will also participate in the selection of the Public Service Committee and the Electoral Commission as well as being a member of the National Advisory Council. The role of the governor has also changed under the new Magna Carta and he will now have to consult with the Premier on many matters, including the appointment of high-ranking government officials such as the Deputy Governor, the Financial Secretary and the Commissioner of the Police.

***BAHAMAS MURDER CONTINUES TO SURGE. With five people dying over the weekend of 17-18 September as a result of violent attacks, the 2011 murder count in The Bahamas reached triple digits to a staggering 100 for the year thus far. This is the highest number of murders ever recorded in a single year since records began and comes on the back of the highest number of murders recorded for a single month in July [RC-11-09]. To late September, the murder rate had increased by 47% year-on-year; at the same point in 2010 only 68 murders had been recorded.

***ST LUCIA PREPARES FOR GENERAL ELECTION. Following the resignation of two members of his parliamentary group, Prime Minister Stephenson King had to face more political challenges in September triggered by the resignation of his housing minister, Richard Frederick. King, whose parliamentary group holds a one-seat majority, will ultimately see his power tested in the upcoming December general election (date is yet to be announced), in which all 17 seats of the House of Assembly will be contested.

***STRENGTHENING TIES WITH CHINA. Trinidad & Tobago last month hosted the third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum which not only yielded the promise of US$2bn in Chinese funds for regional use (comprising US$1bn in loans to support local economic development and a US$1bn donation to the Caricom Development Fund) but also saw a string of bilateral deals agreed on the sidelines. In the opening address, China’s vice-premier, Wang Qishan, who headed up the Chinese delegation, highlighted how cooperation had gathered pace since the first Forum in 2005. He cited figures showing that China-Caribbean trade had increased at an annual rate of 24% on average, to reach US$7.2bn in 2010 while the cumulative Chinese investment in the region now stands at US$400m.

• Chinese cooperation

The bilateral deals agreed on the sidelines of the third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum include a deal worth US$6.3m with Trinidad & Tobago to go on “mutually accepted projects”, up to US$5m for the Bahamas, US$8m for Barbados and US$8m for Jamaica, in economic and technical loan agreements.