The Pharaoh factor in Caribbean politics

By Oliver Mills

Politics in the Caribbean is in a state of volatility and controversy.   The fundamental question is, when has this never been the case?

In one country, accusations are being made over the receipt of aid money from Libya, to help in the rebuilding of the country after the damage done by Hurricane Tomas.

In another, an interim government is in place directing the affairs of the country through an Advisory Council and a Consultative Forum.

In yet another country, its president’s performance has been described as fifth rate, and doing nothing for his country.

Again in another, the political directorate has been accused of having a minimal impact on nation building, and failing to provide intellectual and moral direction towards putting the country on the right track.

What is really going on in the politics of the Caribbean?   Why is it that, particularly in four countries, which are indeed representative of the others, there are these contentions against the political directorates?   These are tame in comparison to what is happening in other Caribbean countries.   And there is no difference whether these countries are independent or not.

We would have thought that with so many years of political maturity, with technology and communications being so highly developed, that some level of sanity would have emerged in the politics of our region.   But it has not.   Is what is happening a reflection of a lively democracy, or is the critical reason what I have decided to describe, as the Pharaoh factor in Caribbean politics?

The idea of a lively democracy, on the surface would seem to imply unrestricted debate and dialogue over the pertinent issues of the day, elections held within a certain period of time, the presence of opposition forces, and a ‘free’ press.   But this seems to be what a political leader in Israel has called, a process, rather than the values that go along with it.

Is democracy therefore more than a process, or a set of procedures, but most importantly a values based practice?   When we examine what has just been given as happening in the four Caribbean territories, is it merely processes and procedures, rather than evidence of certain cardinal values which govern, and are integral to the practice of real democracy?

At one level, if one sovereign country decides to negotiate an aid package from another, irrespective of the politics of the lender country, is this not a democratic right to choose and deal with any country one chooses, or is it that either insufficient discussions were held with other political forces, or they were not consulted at all?   In the latter sense, is it evidence of Pharaoh politics, rather than the politics of deliberation involving all significant actors?

In the Turks & Caicos, is the formation of an Advisory Council, and a Consultative Forum to assist in the process of governance, after certain alleged behaviours by politicians, a form of democratic intervention, since locals were appointed as members of these bodies, and therefore make decisions on behalf of the country, even though they are not formally elected?

And, are critical comments concerning the performance of the political directorates not evidence of democracy in action?   Or, is it because of the practice of Pharaoh politics in the Caribbean by its leaders, which generated this response from other political forces?

Is reaction to policies by political directorates based on the fact that they appear ill-conceived, and in total disregard for the involvement of other interests, a form of democracy in action, or is it a response to political inertia, lack of concern, and self-righteousness of Caribbean political leaders?

Is this not the politics of Pharaoh where the political leader does as he or she wishes, or does not do anything of substance, and does not care irrespective of what others may think?

But what is real and genuine democracy?   It involves serious deliberation with others about policies and issues, using rational and reasonable arguments in order to agree on a position satisfactory to all.   Here, the general interest is considered, without partiality. Agreement is arrived at through dialogue, and not by the threat of force, psychological or otherwise.

Pharaoh politics on the other hand has to do with some Caribbean leaders being highly autocratic in their actions, running roughshod over competing parties, and of the Pharaoh character feeling that his opinions and actions are above criticism or debate, and all others who challenge this position are unpatriotic, or disrespectful to the office of the Pharaoh.

We have seen Pharaoh politics in action in a most blatant form in Grenada under Gairy, in Haiti under Papa Doc and his son, and in many of the actions of earlier Caribbean leaders on assuming power.   Some of these felt that because they were the first to form political parties or trade unions, that there was a certain entitlement they had, and therefore it was rude and disrespectful to challenge them.

Unfortunately, this type of political mentality has seeped down to many of our political operatives.   We saw this in a remark by one political leader that it is either his way, or the highway.   And again, by the same leader who when challenged to give up leadership after a number of years in opposition said that no other person in the party was qualified to succeed him.   This is the politics of Pharaoh in action.

Pharaoh politics is also seen where political supporters break up political meetings, or other gatherings that oppose the existing regimes, or use other intimidating tactics, to discourage opposition activity.   It is also seen in the gerrymandering of constituencies giving favour to one political party over the other.   It is further seen where after an election, irrespective of the competencies of people, many are removed from their jobs, and replaced by the supporters of the Pharaoh.

Again the politics of Pharaoh shows itself in awarding contracts to the chosen, without even any bidding process being put in place.   It is further seen in using the institutions and resources of the state for self enrichment, and the enrichment of Pharaoh’s colleagues at the expense of the people and the sustainability of the state.

It is also observed in the behaviour of the Pharaoh, after accumulating enormous resources for himself.   The many homes built, the construction of what could be regarded as palaces, the encouraging of political spies who carry news on others, truthful or simply made up, and the resulting political victimisation of these persons.

Pharaoh politics therefore results in the accumulation of resources through rather innovative means, seeing the populace as us and them, the idea that if you are not with me, you are against me, granting extraordinary favours without using the correct channels, or influencing these channels to do so, and creating psychological fear in others, and the use of reprisals on those who are of a different persuasion.

But what are the origins of Pharaoh politics?    It has its beginnings in the parliamentary system of government, surprisingly, since this is the model that is supposed to promote and represent real democracy.   This system encourages a maximum leader with enormous powers and authority.   This leader can apportion political responsibilities, has the resources to attract support, can dominate politics, and can hire or fire ministers.

The parliamentary system therefore produces autocratic leaders disguised as democratic figures.   The maximum leader can also ignore the advice of public officials and his ministers, and appoint his or her own core of advisers.   This is the origin of the Pharaoh factor.

From this emerged a situation where two cousins headed two opposing political parties.   Two brothers are ministers of government in different parties, and because of the politics, a president hands over office to his wife. And again, a situation where the father was head of government, and was later followed by his son. This is the story of Pharaoh politics in the Caribbean.

And what kind of politics does the Caribbean need to free itself from the grip of Pharaoh politics?   It is first of all a politics of values. This means that there are certain values that are adhered to in the practice of political discourse.   These include having a moral approach to the issues.

This involves making decisions on their merit, establishing political parties with a moral purpose of what is right and good, and making choices which benefit the entire populace, and not a segment of the country.   It also means choosing to run for office, people with ethical backgrounds, and who have a character history of making choices and decisions that are noble and just.

It also means that Caribbean politics needs to be standards based, using prescribed benchmarks which can be measured to determine behaviour that is acceptable.   The abolition of Pharaoh politics also means having compassion and care for people and their problems, being sensitive to the needs of others, and having the capacity to put ourselves in the shoes of others.   Pharaoh politics lacks compassion and identification with the needs of those who do not share Pharaoh’s vision.

Caribbean politics further needs to have institutions that are honourable and trustworthy, can be depended on to deliver, and that are run by people who show mercy and a sense of deep humanity.   Most importantly, the Caribbean intelligentsia needs to educate the public on the real meaning of a changed and relevant politics that is kind, gentle, and reasonable.

We further need to rid ourselves of the politics of hate, divisiveness, and which forms cleavages and factions.   The latter needs to be replaced by a politics that is all inclusive, respectful of the individual and his or her contribution, and which puts the interests and welfare of the country, over that of political constructions formed within it.

All of these constitute the ingredients of an antidote to the Pharaoh factor in Caribbean politics.

March 10, 2011

caribbeannewsnow

The Bahamas Human Resources Development Association (BHRDA) is concern about the appointment of a foreign HR consultant by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)

HR experts weigh in on URCA controversy

By CANDIA DAMES
Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com

The Bahamas Human Resources Development Association (BHRDA) yesterday raised concerns about the appointment of a foreign HR consultant by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) as controversy heightened over the matter.

As has been widely reported by The Nassau Guardian, the questions being raised surround URCA’s engagement of Marsha Lewis, who heads LCI Inc. in Barbados, which she formed not long before landing the contract.  Lewis is a former executive of Cable and Wireless Communications’ Caribbean operations, as is URCA’s current CEO Usman Saadat who introduced his former colleague to URCA in 2009 when he was the regulatory body’s director of policy and regulation.

URCA Chairman Wayne Aranha has admitted that the agency did not advertise the position locally.  On Saturday, the prime minister said URCA broke the rules in failing to do so.

Last year, Saadat forwarded his resume to Lewis for vetting when he applied for the CEO position, Aranha acknowledged.  All candidates were required to send their resumes to her.

The association said yesterday it noted with interest that URCA did not release any information about the scope of works for the consultancy job.

“It would be useful to know whether the use of Mrs. Lewis’s firm required specialized HR knowledge and expertise that Bahamian HR professionals may not have had,” BHRDA said in a press release.

“We are advised that comments made by URCA indicated satisfaction with LCI Inc.’s work which included writing job descriptions and formulating a performance appraisal tool.   It should be noted therefore that local HR professionals possess expertise in all major functional and operational areas of human resources and business, the least of which is creating job descriptions and performance appraisal tools.

“What is also disturbing to the association is the fact that Mrs. Lewis’ LinkedIn site states that LCI Inc. contracted another HR professional to perform quite a number of the duties that her company was engaged to do.  BHRDA’s position is that an experienced Bahamian HR professional could just have easily performed the core HR functions to standards of excellence and similarly outsource some functions if technical telecommunications expertise was lacking in a particular area.”

The association posed several questions to Saadat: While the post was not advertised, did URCA explore the availability of local/Bahamian HR consultants before hiring one externally?  Did URCA contact any member/executive of the BHRDA or other representative HR bodies to assist with locating an experienced HR consultant?  Was a RFP (request for proposal) published/provided at the time of LCI’s engagement?

The association asked several other questions: Since public attention was drawn to this matter, does URCA still have a contract with Lewis?  Will the scope of work now be made public and does URCA have an HR manager presently?

BHRDA said it has formally addressed this issue with Immigration and Labour Department officials and those discussions appear to confirm that there are opportunities to better manage and monitor the process of issuing work permits as well as better monitoring— and more importantly—leveraging expatriate labor in The Bahamas.

“BHRDA sees this as an opportunity to advise the Bahamian public that there are many experienced HR professionals in The Bahamas, many of whom have worked in Fortune 500 and other companies in the U.S. and the U.K.  Many of these professionals have also studied abroad and achieved international qualifications and designations which set them apart from others in the profession,” the association said.

The firestorm over Lewis’ engagement has emerged as URCA considers a bid by Cable and Wireless Communications to purchase 51 percent of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company.  Lewis’ husband, Philip Lewis, is currently CWC’s vice president of business development as has been pointed out by The Nassau Guardian on several occasions.

The association said it takes no position on either the issue of privatization or the role of Cable and Wireless or URCA’s ability to perform its regulatory functions to the highest standards.

“The association does question the process used to employ the foreign HR consultancy firm hired by URCA,” the press statement said.

“We are pleased by the prime minister’s comments on the matter in yesterday’s Guardian where he stated that ‘all positions should be advertised locally.’   The association believes this is an opportunity for policymakers to ensure that Bahamian laws set out clear guidelines under which fair competition will prevail, as well as enforcement of these laws.  It is BHRDA’s hope that the public debate and BHRDA’s questions on this matter cause organizations like ours to be consulted in changing and creating policy in The Bahamas.”

The press release pointed out that BHRDA is a national, non-profit organization and an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). BHRDA’s main objective is to provide a forum for human resources and other business professionals to enhance their technical knowledge and skills and advance the cause of workers generally.

The association is headed by Annette Cash and has several vice presidents: Cheryl Bain, Marisa Mason-Smith, Rachel Rolle and Villiemae Black. Its secretary is Chrislyn Benjamin.

Aranha, the URCA chairman, said last week that Lewis’ time with URCA is coming to an end because she has completed the tasks she was hired to carry out. He indicated that it has nothing to do with the controversy, and said URCA plans to engage a local HR professional to complete some work.

3/8/2011

thenassauguardian

Bahamas: Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)... What's The Connection? (Part-2)

CWC and the URCA connection Pt 2
By CANDIA DAMES
Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com



Stunning admissions



Chairman of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority Wayne Aranha made several stunning admissions a few days ago: URCA never advertised locally for the human resources consultancy position now being filled by a foreigner.

That foreigner, Marsha Lewis, happens to be a former colleague of URCA’s CEO Usman Saadat, who introduced her to the regulatory body in 2009 when he was director of policy and regulation.

Another stunning admission made by Aranha was that Saadat, when he applied for the CEO position last year, had to forward his resume and application for vetting to Lewis, the very woman he introduced to URCA a year earlier.

Lewis left Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) in Barbados months before she became URCA’s consultant. She landed the consultancy position not long after she formed her company, LCI Inc.

According to URCA’s Three-Year Strategy and Annual Plan for 2011, it is spending $131,000 on HR consultancy, although it is unclear from reading that report how much of that money is being spent with LCI.

For the past two years, Lewis has collected from URCA for her services — services that Bahamian HR professionals may be capable of providing and may be available to provide.

Lewis had something though that they did not have, something that proved of inestimable worth in her landing her URCA contract: A connection to Usman Saadat.

Because the position was never advertised locally, the Bahamian professionals never got a chance.

The Department of Immigration requires positions be advertised locally before foreigners are approved for jobs.

It is also government policy to advertise locally for positions that need to be filled, noted Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in an interview with The Nassau Guardian over the weekend.

Ingraham said bluntly that URCA broke the rules and he intends to address the matter.

“We certainly do not support that kind of thing,” the prime minister said.

“It’s a standard policy of the Government of the Bahamas that positions are advertised locally and it’s very annoying.” But he said it has to be done.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette also told The Nassau Guardian he intends to look into the matter of how URCA was able to bring on a foreign HR consultant without advertising the position.

AN APPEARANCE OF CONFLICT

To be clear, Aranha was not yet chairman when Lewis landed the contract in August 2009. He was appointed weeks later.

But Aranha recognized that as the current chairman it is his responsibility to protect the integrity of URCA.

After National Review dug into this issue last week, Saadat had agreed to appear on the Star 106.5 FM show “Jeffrey” with Jeff Lloyd and from what we understand on the “Sawyer Report” on ZNS with Jerome Sawyer.

But somewhere along the way he and URCA’s board had a change of heart.

Instead, Aranha and URCA’s Director of Policy and Regulation Kathleen Smith made the rounds.

Aranha said there had been personal attacks on Saadat and the decision was made for him not to appear on the shows.

While on Lloyd’s show, the URCA officials acknowledged that there is an appearance of conflict given Saadat’s and Lewis’ former affiliation with CWC.

But they stressed repeatedly that there is no actual conflict.

“I think it’s important for our public to appreciate that conflicts exist all the time,” Aranha said.

“Real conflicts exist all the time, not with URCA but as a general proposition. But they are properly managed to avoid a conflict from resulting in something being crooked or improper…You deal with it by either saying you can’t do certain things or you deal with it by not attending or participating in an issue that arises.”

Aranha said when he first met Lewis in the fall of 2009 when he became chairman “she was known to be a Cable and Wireless past employee.”

“In my mind though, it was never addressed as an issue,” he said.

“But he (Saadat) did make the introduction; it’s agreed and I can understand it now that we’re looking back and assessing it and tearing it upside down.

“Clearly, the organization (URCA), bear in mind, was given a mandate: Go and run effectively, run efficiently. You have the sector policy; you have an act. We want you to report value for money and there was an immediate commencement of activities to assess the gaps in staff if there are any, to look at ways of improving the efficiency, to look at what needs to be done.”

The issue of CWC’s connection to URCA is being raised as URCA reviews the agreement between the Government of The Bahamas and CWC, which is seeking to purchase 51 percent of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC).

Both Aranha and Smith stressed that in 2009 when Saadat introduced his former CWC colleague to URCA, CWC was not a bidder in the privatization process.

But it was at least in the picture to some extent, as pointed out on several occasions by The Nassau Guardian, and confirmed in privatization documents.

CWC was eyeing the BTC opportunity, which it ended up turning down in 2009. In 2010, it was back in the picture in a major way, emerging as the long sought strategic partner for BTC.

URCA’s DEFENSE

The usually quiet URCA has had to put up a defense on these issues over the last couple weeks, led by its chairman.

The controversy even led Aranha to question whether I as the writer of these articles had an agenda and whether I had ever even spoken to the government ministers who appeared confused last week over which of them is responsible for URCA.

It was pointed out to the chairman that there are many people who have questions about all the connections to CWC, and about how Lewis was able to secure the HR contract.

As we noted in last week’s article on this issue, Lewis is married to Philip Lewis, CWC’s VP for Business Development.

Aranha said he spoke to Mrs. Lewis on a casual basis and recalled her mentioning her husband.

“But that to me was never significant…what was significant to me was on the board’s agenda early was a paper on ‘this is what we plan to do with HR in respect of training Bahamians, in respect of introducing a program to measure performance, to evaluate performance against objectives that are set for staff members so that they would be remunerated in accordance with performance and advancement would be consistent with performance,” Aranha said.

Last week, the chairman and the director of policy and regulation did not appear concerned that the HR position had not been advertised in The Bahamas.

Asked by Lloyd whether it was necessary for URCA to have a foreign HR consultant, Smith said, “LCI, which Mrs. Marsha Lewis happens to be the managing director [of], is only an advisor with respect to human resource issues to URCA.”

Lloyd pressed further: “Is there a need for a foreigner?”

He asked whether the position was ever advertised locally.

Aranha answered, “I think the answer clearly has to be [no] because if it was done through a competitive biding process the trail would have been there.

“I think the answer clearly has to be that the situation was one whereby Mr. Saadat, having worked with her before, being aware of the product, and probably having a pretty good perception of what the pay for performance system for URCA should look like, decided that maybe that was the best person to engage and having introduced her to the then CEO (Michael Symonette) he was so persuaded and I have to believe that the CEO had great respect for her too.”

When URCA advertised other positions in 2010 — including the CEO and director of policy and regulation positions — applicants were advised to forward their applications to LCI Inc. (Barbados).

As mentioned, Saadat complied. The resume was no doubt a familiar one for his former colleague in Barbados and probably came as no surprise to her.

Pressed on whether this amounted to a conflict, Aranha told The Nassau Guardian that everything relating to the hiring of the CEO was done above board.

“The decision to engage the DPR and CEO were made by the board members,” he also said on Lloyd’s show. “The board members had an opportunity to see every resume. We interviewed the finalists.

“Every other appointment has been via a competitive selection process which is absolutely required in the act for the DPR and CEO for certain…We’re trying to develop in URCA a deep bench.”

He also advised that Lewis’ work with URCA is coming to an end, not because of the firestorm surrounding her engagement, but because she has nearly completed what she was hired to do.

With all the controversy surrounding Saadat’s and Lewis’ past connections to Cable and Wireless, Lloyd asked Aranha whether industry players are likely to be concerned.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think the competitors are going to be a big issue with respect to simply Usman,” he responded.

“With respect to the HR person, the advisor, that one may be a greater issue from the perspective of Mrs. Lewis’ husband and his employer.

“With respect to the services being provided by LCI, I’m not sure they’re going to continue much longer in any event as a consultant.”

The chairman added that something had come across his desk that suggested to him that URCA was engaging a Bahamian human resources professional to carry out some work.

“I think it would be wrong to abandon plans for our HR because of the noise we’re getting,” Aranha said.

Smith, meanwhile, seemed to miss the point on the Bahamianization issue.

“Here it is we have an organization to run and we want to be efficient, we want to be effective, we want to be professional,” she said.

“If our positions are filled by Bahamians and they are qualified and they are experienced that is great, but if when we make the call for these positions and Bahamians are not available, are not qualified, are not experienced, the position still has to be filled and if it means that we have to employ foreigners, we will do so.”

In 2009, URCA never made that call when it was looking for an HR consultant.

3/7/2011

Bahamas: Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)... What's The Connection? (Part-1)

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International

March 6 - a significant date for Africa and the Caribbean

by Oscar Ramjeet:


March 6 is a significant date for both Africa and the Caribbean. It is on that date in 1957 (54 years ago) the first African state, known as that time the Gold Coast, was given independence from Britain and was renamed Ghana. It was also on that date 40 years after Ghana's independence (1997) that two Caribbean greats, Dr Cheddi Jagan and MIchael Manley, died within hours of each other. Jagan died at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore in the United States, and Manley died in Jamaica.

The Gold Coast was one of the richest countries in Africa conquered by the British and after a strenuous battle with Kwame Nkrumah the Brits decided to hand over independence to the country, which was renamed Ghana. Of course, by then, the country was stripped of its vast wealth by the British masters.

There are about 1,000 Ghanaians living in the Caribbean and a few of them hold top positions. I know of a High Court Judge in St Vincent, Frederick Bruce Lyle, who started his career in 1989 and a highly respected Senior Counsel in Belize, Fred Lumor.

Like many Commonwealth countries, Ghana, like Guyana, was not only robbed of its wealth, but suffered severe brain drain. However, reports from Accra state that the country sees a bright future.

Ghana has discovered oil in commercial quantities and is currently from December last year pumping 50,000 barrels of oil for export, which is expected to increase to 120,000 barrels a day within the next couple of months. It is understood that other fields are being discovered, together with immense natural gas deposits, which would place Ghana in the big leagues of oil producers in about five years. It is reported also that the country has a stable democracy since 1992.

Jagan, who had been the president of Guyana since 1992, became ill in Georgetown and was airlifted to the Johns Hopkins hospital, but succumbed on March 6, 1997, a week later. While his death was being announced throughout the region, another sad story broke of the passing of Michael Manley, who served three terms as prime minister of Jamaica.

Jagan was considered one of the greatest politicians in the Caribbean and the Western Hemisphere, but US President John F. Kennedy dubbed him as public enemy no. 2, no doubt because of his leftist tendencies and his close association with Fidel Castro, and other world leaders who had socialist ideas and did not see eye to eye with the US and even Britain.

Jagan's People's Progressive Party (PPP) won three elections -- in 1953, 1957 and 1961 -- before independence. He served as chief minister, and later premier. It was under his leadership that Britain suspended the 1953 Constitution and brought in British troops to the country, a move that shocked the world because the country was peaceful at the time. However, both Britain and the United States wanted Jagan out of the way, and worked out a way to do so.

The usual divide and rule strategy was used and race was brought into politics in Guyana when Forbes Burnham, Cheddi's deputy and a brilliant lawyer and a great orator, was prompted to challenge Jagan for the leadership and that move back in the mid-fifties sowed the seed of racial problems in Guyana.

Cheddi was out in the cold. It was not until 1992 he was able to take over the government, but died five years later following a heart attack.

In Guyana, the political climate is not good and at present the political parties are preparing for general elections to be held later this year. I sincerely hope that the politicians will see wisdom and work in the best interest of the country, which has suffered immensely since adult suffrage the 1950s.

Over in Jamaica, Michael, son of the famous Norman Manley, came to prominence after he defeated his cousin, Hugh Shearer, a former prime minister. He served three terms as prime minister of Jamaica, and was soon branded a leftist because of his association with Cuba's Fidel Castro, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and other well known socialist leaders at that time. He got rid of the jacket and tie, and introduced what he called the "bush jacket"

Michael Manley, who was the fourth prime minister of his country, and a keen cricketer, was married five times.

March 7, 2011

caribbeannewsnow

Bahamas Blog International

The world should fear a Saudi revolt

By Dennis Morrison, Gleaner Writer



Petrojam's billing prices for 87 and 90 octane gasolene jumped by $2.50 per litre in each case last week, the biggest movement in a single week since prices were liberalised nearly 20 years ago. And what is even worse news for motorists is that oil prices are predicted to continue rising in the short term, at least, if the political turmoil in the Middle East drags on.

A motorist I met at the service station last Thursday had the greatest difficulty understanding the runaway gasolene prices, even when the disruption in oil production in Libya is being offset by increased supplies from other producers. "Why should oil prices have gone up by US$20 per barrel in a couple of months when there is no shortage?" he asked.

Because oil fuels the engine of modern economies, perception of potential disruption in supply tends to have an exaggerated impact on prices as markets try to anticipate shortage. Geopolitical uncertainties, therefore, tend to feed price volatility, as is the case right now. Markets treat gold, a traditional safe haven in times of political and economic crises, in a similar way.

The volatility we are seeing in oil markets is being driven not just by events in Libya and the threat of civil war there, but by speculation that the political 'brush fire' that started in Tunisia and spread to Egypt could sweep the Middle East and North Africa. The US$20 jump in oil prices since January suggests that market watchers have begun to calculate the potential ramifications of the unrest spreading to Saudi Arabia, the giant oil producer in the region and the world's second largest, marginally below Russia.

There is a view that Saudi Arabia is unlikely to see major protests since Saudi culture is against civil disobedience, the king is popular, and demands for political reforms are muted. But demographically, the country is quite similar to other Arab nations now caught in the political cauldron. As in Egypt, people in the 15-25 age group in Saudi Arabia are the biggest bloc of the population, and unemployment among them is more than 30 per cent. This is the age group likely to revolt and join the Facebook revolutionaries.

Welfare benefits

To placate them, the king is disbursing a US$30-billion economic package of welfare benefits, including unemployment insurance, funds for affordable housing, and generous grants for sports and culture. With the backing of the powerful religious establishment and the economic goodies, the regime may be able to maintain calm. Except that the ferment in its majority Shia neighbour of Bahrain could feed discontent in the Shia population in the important oil-producing area of its eastern province.

Conscious of the risks, the Saudis have acted to bolster the regime in Bahrain by providing military reinforcements.

10% of world oil output

Saudi Arabia produces nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day, more than 10 per cent of world output. Libya produces just over 1.5 million barrels per day, less than 2.0 per cent. Just imagine the impact on oil markets if revolution were to break out in Saudi Arabia and disrupt production! The impact on the global economy would be of such a magnitude that the US would possibly intervene militarily. These imponderables are now the preoccupation of risk analysts and are behind the increased risks (higher than Bahrain and Morocco where protests have occurred) that financial markets have attached to Saudi Arabia's debts in recent weeks.

The possibility that the conflict in Libya could turn into a war of attrition will continue to be a factor in keeping oil prices high in the short term. But if it is contained and the Saudi regime is able to ward off any serious spillover from the political turbulence in the rest of the region, prices are likely to come down. In this case, the threat of rising oil prices scuttling the global economic recovery would lessen. And Jamaican motorists, as well as households, would get some relief at the pumps and in our electricity bills.

In the worst-case scenario, Jamaica would be confronting stagflation - no or low growth combined with high inflation. Even with the prices of many domestic food crops coming down to levels that make housewives happy, the pressure from higher costs for a range of imported food items is increasing. Wage increases are being kept tight in the private sector, and most public-sector workers are on a wage freeze, so consumer spending is falling. Hence, businesses are hurting and must contend with rising energy costs.

This is a tough environment in which to frame the upcoming national Budget. More than ever, the highest priority must be to accelerate investment initiatives where conditions are most favourable: the energy sector, where the electricity-generating system must be modernised to service a captive domestic market; agricultural output to supply the local market; tourism projects can be synchronised with market demand in the medium term; and the ICT sector, which still presents growth opportunities.

Dennis Morrison is an economist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com

March 6, 2011

jamaica-gleaner

Bahamas Blog International

The Arab world in convulsion

By Jean H Charles:



The world has changed after Jesus the Christ, God made man, came on earth some two thousand years ago. His mission is to redeem mankind from his state of sin and to offer to each man and to all men the possibility of eternal life if he profits of his free will capacity, to lead a life hospitable and charitable to each other.

The world has changed also since Mohamed, born in 572 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, instituted the Muslim religion based on dreams he said he received from God, edited into the Koran, which is a compilation of verses for human conduct and moral practice.

To understand Christianity, the life and the preaching of Jesus have been studied thoroughly and through the ages. It is, as such, fit and proper to look into the upbringing and the transactional analysis of Mohamed to understand the Muslim culture.

Orphaned at a young age, Mohamed was raised and educated by his maternal uncle Abou Talib, a trader who travelled widely in the Middle East. Issue from the clan of the Koreishites, former nomads who became big commercial conservative entrepreneurs, they were isolated from and by the Jews and by the Christians.

At the age of 25 years old, Mohamed met the woman of his life, Khadija, a widow of 40 years old, independent and owner of her own business that she inherited from her deceased husband. He found in her a wife, a mother and stability. She bore him seven children, three boys and four girls. He lost the four boys, causing the casting of his personality as half a man, an abtar according to the custom and culture of the time.

Mohamed suffered a nervous breakdown with epileptic bouts, according to Ernest Renan, a prolific chronicle of the life of Jesus and of Mohamed. In one of his sleepless nights he revealed having received from God revelations edited into verses that became the Koran. He started to preach and to convert the members of his community.

His wife Khadija was the first Muslim convert. Through diplomacy, fights, struggles, cunning and proselytism, Mohamed succeeded in creating a universal religion from the Middle East to Asia, from Asia to Africa and from Africa to Europe. He was stopped at the gates of Europe by Charles Martel in 732 and by the Crusade invoked by Pope Urban II, who organized the Inquisition, an international armada led by King Louis VII of France.

Contrary to Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular, the Muslim religion condones the intermingling of religion with politics. It does not accept the free will instinct of each individual. Bin Laden, a wannabe successor to Mohamed, wanted nothing but a Caliphate, a universal empire ruled by the verses of the Koran, with the law of Sharia imposed upon all men.

In the Muslim world, there were voices raised to support the concept of laicization and of nation building. Mustafa Kemal in Turkey was the prime example. The clan politics, the patriarchal doctrine, the veiled discrimination against women were and has been the hallmark of all if not most countries with a Muslim culture.

I had my personal encounter with the Arab culture when I visited Morocco some years ago. On the plaza of Marrakech, around the vendors and the snake charmer, I met a beautiful young lady named Fatima (the most revered name in Catholicism and the Muslim world). I felt she met the criteria for bringing her back home to meet my mother.

To approach Fatima I had to buy a jalaba (the long robe worn by men all over the Middle East) to pass for a Moroccan. I was seen as a wolf amongst the sheep because I had forgotten my tennis shoes in my maquillage to become a local. Fatima faced the risk of being flogged or stoned for daring to speak to a foreigner.

It has been as such until December 17, 2011, when a young man of 26 years old, named Mohamed Bouazizi, from Tunisia, decided to set himself on fire after he had been humiliated by a female public servant for selling fruits on the side of the road without a permit. Armed with a college degree he could not find work anywhere in the country.

This self immolation touched a chord in the anger and frustration of the people from their inept, incompetent and corrupt leaders. What the Muslim religious uprising could not produce in decades in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, has been accomplished in days by the citizen uprising for decent living, for jobs and for education.

After 23 years of repressive ruling, Ben Ali, a bulwark of the western powers against fundamentalism, was catapulted as a weak and rotten apple. His wife, a collector of villas and bank accounts instead of shoes like Imelda, was also thrown out of the country.

The Jasmine revolution as it has been called has extended to Egypt, butting out Mubarak after thirty two years in power. It is threatening Kaddafi in Libya, who has ruled this rich oil nation for the last forty years. It has ramifications in Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Bahrain.

The convulsion will produce a calming effect for the citizens of the region if they follow the Renan doctrine of nation building: turning the military into an instrument of development as in Vietnam, stabilizing the citizens in their territory with their culture, adequate infrastructure and ethical institutions as in Malaysia (a Muslim nation) and, last but not least, leaving no one behind, as in the United States under Lyndon Johnson circa 1968 that finally produced Barack Obama, a black president accepted by all.

The ingredients of the solution include a complete rupture with the past by accepting laicization, federalism, the rule of law, education for all, the respect for local culture while immolating the sacred cows such as tribalism and clan politics.

The Jasmine revolution must not follow the Haitian revolution of 1804 and the people power of 1986 that failed to provide a minimum standard of welfare and wellbeing responding to the aspirations of the majority of its people.

May the sweet scent of the jasmine, with its white colour that shines in the middle of the night, spread throughout the Middle East and from there throughout the world!

March 5, 2011

caribbeannewsnow

Bahamas Blog International

We must not forget the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

By Ian Francis:


In 1980, many former regional politicians from the small states of the region journeyed to the capital of St Kitts and appended their signature to the Treaty of Basseterre. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) came into existence, succeeding the old British-created organization known as the West Indies Associated States Secretariat (WISA), which in the early days was once led by leading lights as George Odlum and Gus Compton of St Lucia. Both men have since passed away and it is befitting that we pay respects to them and they rest in peace.

The OECS has existed for the last 31 years. With such longevity, the operations and achievements of the organization must be examined, as many of the deceased signatories might be asking what has happened to the OECS and the Treaty of Basseterre.

Some of the former signatories to the Treaty who have left this great earth include former prime ministers: Eugenia Charles of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Maurice Bishop of Grenada, Winston Cenac of St Lucia, Vere Bird of Antigua and Barbuda and Clive Tannis of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Franklyn Margetson of Montserrat. Dr Sir Kennedy Simmonds, who, at the time was the premier of St Kitts and Nevis and is still very much alive, was also a signatory to the Treaty. To all these former signatories, we can only wish God’s blessing and may they all rest in peace.

The OECS is an institution that continues to face the wrath of disregard and neglect by the Authority of the organization. According to the Treaty of Basseterre, the Authority is defined as each head of government of a signatory state. Therefore, there should be no confusion in the mind of readers as to who is the Authority of the OECS.

While it is not commonly known or suspected, there have been many jurisdictional incursions and resolutions between the CARICOM Secretariat and the OECS. The most recent incursion related to the CARICOM Secretariat hosting a diplomatic training workshop at a time when the OECS and many member governments have been involved in discussions with Spain, Chile and Brazil about diplomatic training for the OECS member states.

It was felt, and rightly so, that the Georgetown Secretariat should have backed off or return the multilateral funds for the workshop. To the dismay of the Castries Secretariat, the OECS Authority and the Standing Committee of OECS Foreign Affairs Ministers, although briefed about the incursion, did nothing to address the complaint.

With fairness and reality to the OECS, this organization should be given the lead responsibility for diplomatic training within its organizational jurisdiction, given the organization’s current maintenance of two diplomatic missions in Ottawa and Brussels. In addition, as the global environment revolves around many complex issues that ultimately affect the OECS, it is essential to have a well trained and competent career diplomatic corps that will be able to represent the organization and member states in various global forums where good skills, experience and knowledge can be applied.

This is one area in the OECS Secretariat that requires immediate attention and the Authority and Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs Ministers should see a priority. Management of diplomatic skills is necessary for the international functioning of the Castries Secretariat. It is quite possible that, if a result oriented parameter was established and maintained, the current poor OECS diplomatic representation in Brussels and Ottawa could have been avoided.

While the current stage of discussion about diplomatic training between the OECS and the three mentioned nations are unknown, the OECS might be interested in looking at the training model for diplomats in Jamaica or Trinidad, or for that matter all the More Developed Countries (MDCS), since they seem to have excellent track records on the international scene. The notion of picking a few personnel from various organs of a government and dispatching them overseas for diplomatic training require more thought and planning by the Castries Secretariat.

One final note of caution to the OECS and respective governments, there should be an agreement and full concurrence by regional governments as to who will be responsible for diplomatic training in the OECS. Is it the Secretariat or respective individual governments? Clarity is urgently needed.

The OECS organization is a necessity in the region and requires the full support and attention by member governments. In the context of support and attention, member governments must meet their financial obligations in a timely manner. Paying up arrears in full is excellent but the understanding is that the arrears cycle immediately restarts.

In conversation recently with a Secretariat official about member governments meeting their financial obligations, it would appear that the only OECS member that has paid up to date is the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. If this information is accurate, then Dr Douglas and his government must be commended. If there are other governments who feel they should be accorded the same sentiments attributed to Dr Douglas, then this writer joins in extending congratulations.

The danger always looms when a regional agency does not receive monetary support from its membership. It forces the agency or institution into the unhealthy investment of time to seek out multilateral funders for makeshift projects in order to survive. Recently, regional observers saw the demise of Dr Karl Greenidge and other staff members from the CARICOM Secretariat, whose positions were funded by a foreign agency. To carefully quote the outgoing Czar of CARICOM, Sir Edwin Carrington, “Funds for Dr Greenidge project ran out and the funding agency was not willing to consider an extension.”

In my view, the above should be a powerful and timely warning to regional institutions who feel that multilateral institutions can meet their core operational needs. This is a fallacy and regional institutions should be aware of the potential pitfalls.

The wells are drying and Dr Greenidge might be the first victim. There are many more to come.

Ian Francis resides in Toronto. He writes frequently on Caribbean Affairs. He is a former Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Grenada. He can be reached at info@vismincommunications.org

March 4, 2011

caribbeannewsnow