A New Chapter for Montserrat

By: - October 4th, 2011

Above: Montserrat (Photo: Montserrat Tourism)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Montserrat has sworn in Ruben Meade as the British Overseas Territory’s first-ever Premier, following the adoption of a new constitution in the country.

It marks a new milestone for Montserrat, said Dr Denzil Douglas, the prime minister of neighbor islands St Kitts and Nevis.

Douglas said the new constitution held much significance for the island, and ushered in a “new chapter” in the country’s history.

“This is quite opportune and marks an important political milestone for Montserrat and the rest of the sub-region as a whole,” he said. “There is no doubt that [after] the long months of consultations this is indeed a welcomed outcome and a marked accomplishment for the negotiating team of Montserrat.”

The constitution has not come without controversy, as Montserrat’s new opposition leader, Donald Romeo, and his colleague, former Chief Minister Dr Lowell Lewis, have campaigned against the new constitution and argued for changes.

“We must continue the work of improving the [constitution] over time,” Meade said last week at his swearing-in. “We must however, not lose sight of the focus on development issues while at the same time honouring the provisions of the constitution.”

Governor Adrian Davis, who officiated the ceremony, called the constitution a “modern constitution for a modern country.”

As part of the process, a committee will be established in the country to reduce the discretionary powers of the governor in clemency matters, and regional affairs, including OECS and CARICOM, will be vested in the Premier or his nominee.

Montserrat

Trinidad Emergency Arrests Top 3,200

Above: Trinidad PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Photo: TGISL) By the Caribbean Journal staff A total of 3,290 people were arrested in Trinidad from the Aug. 23 to Sep. 28 during the country’s ongoing State of Emergency, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force. A plurality of arrests have been either drug or gang related, for […]

Montserrat

Bahamas, Cuba Sign Border Agreement

Above: MFA Brent Symonette and Ambassador Jose Luis Ponce Caraballo (BIS Photo/Kris Ingraham) By the Caribbean Journal staff After 18 years of negotiations, the Bahamas and Cuba have officially signed an agreement for maritime delimitations between the two countries. Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette and Cuban Ambassador Jose Luis Ponce Caraballo signed the agreement […]

Montserrat

Interview with Clinton Bush Haiti Fund CEO Gary Edson

Above: Employees at an atelier in Port-au-Prince (Photo: CBHF) By Alexander Britell Soon after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, at the behest of President Barack Obama, founded a fund aimed at bringing Haiti out of the crisis, largely through economic growth. More than a year and […]

Barbados Moves toward Urban High-Rises

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Barbados has launched what it calls an Urban High-Rise Housing Programme, an initiative aimed at satisfying the growing demand for housing in the country. The programme, which is a joint venture partnership between the National Housing Corporation and the private sector, is a new approach that is essentially unprecedented on […]

New Cruise Ships Head to St Kitts

 Above: Allure of the Seas (Photo: Royal Caribbean) By the Caribbean Journal staff St Kitts will see 11 new cruise ships make their inaugural calls during the 2011/2012 season, according to Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas. The country’s Tourism Ministry estimates that there will be 650,000 cruise visitors to St Kitts this year. Ships making […]

From Grenada to England, via Netball

 By the Caribbean Journal staff Barbados has launched what it calls an Urban High-Rise Housing Programme, an initiative aimed at satisfying the growing demand for housing in the country. The programme, which is a joint venture partnership between the National Housing Corporation and the private sector, is a new approach that is essentially unprecedented on […]

UN: Haiti Humanitarian Crisis "Not Over"

Above: UN Under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos (UN Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Humanitarian assistance must continue in Haiti, alongside development and reconstruction work, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said today. “The humanitarian crisis in Haiti is not over,” she said. “While major efforts are being made to put the country […]