It'S ALL STUPID!

There is a level of discussion that is needed in Anguilla politics. A level only a few of our politicians or political pundits are capable of attaining, however none have made the effort to achieve this level. There is the possibility that certain issues that need to be discussed will be unpopular with the masses and might render those who participate in the discussion unelectable, however these things must be discussed and understood before Anguillians are ready to take the next step.

If politicians know better they have to do better, they cannot fail to make economic decisions because it’s an election year; they cannot turn a blind eye to the unethical practices of friends. They cannot be soft on crime and condone stupidity just because the criminal and the stupid are their friends or supporters. They cannot become a supporter of independence just because the people object to their political style or because they hate the British or the British Governor of the day. Anguilla cannot become independent to satisfy the egotistical needs of any politician, preacher, fisherman or hotel worker.

In order to build a new Anguilla, Anguillians have to follow processes and have standards that are fair to all. Anguillians must respect and preserve the rule of law. A criminal is a criminal, and criminals destroy lives and property. It matters little if the criminal is local or foreign. Anguillians cannot socially ostracize the police or the magistrate because they are too tough on crime. Anguillians cannot continue to know who the local thugs are but refuse to identify them. The blind cannot continue to lead the blind, whether it a political party or a radio talk show.

By: Statchel Warner

“NONE SO BLIND!”

I was amused by the exchanges between the Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool, the Elected Member for Island Harbour and the Hon. Haydn Hughes, the Parliamentary Secretary on several media over the past week. It began with Mr. Vanterpool's response to an interview over Radio Anguilla by the Chief Minister in which he accused the Anguilla United Front of being responsible for the challenges at Cap Juluca. The Chief Minister also used the opportunity to boast that he is "more qualified than all of them (the AUF) put together!". The exchanges as a whole, but in particular the line of defense put forward by Mr. Haydn Hughes regarding statements made by Mr. Vanterpool about the negotiation of MoU's, caused me to question whether our people are really listening. 

Are people actually keeping track of the statements the Chief Minister and his colleagues have been making since the election campaign; through to their ascendancy to Office; and over the last twenty-one months? Were they actually paying close attention --- I would be most surprised if they would continue to accept that this Government is genuine in terms of its campaign promise to turn the economy around in three months; its pledge of integrity, transparency, openness, good governance, honesty, and fairness; its condemnation of nepotism, favoritism, party politics and conflicts of interest; and its call for a united Anguilla.

In reflecting on whether or not Anguillians are actually paying attention to the behaviour of this Government since it came to office, it occurred to me that perhaps it would be a good thing to actually catalogue some of the many inconsistencies between word and action. In other words, the difference between what the Government professes that it will do --- and what it actually does, both individually and collectively. My reason for doing so is because it is a puzzlement to me (as it is to many others) how the very same people who, rightly or wrongly, accuse the Anguilla United Front for a particular kind of conduct could support the present Chief Minister and his colleagues in the identical conduct it claims to condemn. Or why it is that certain rules applicable to the past AUF Government do not apply to the Chief Minister, his colleagues and his advisors. 

I have observed that there are five very common excuses for the AUM Government's failures, namely: 1) The United Front left the Treasury empty; 2) The United Front created this situation while they were in Office; 3) The United Front is not allowing the Government to function; 4) The Governor is sabotaging the Government; and more recently, 5) It is not the Government it is the global financial and economic situation. 

I will endeavour to be concise in my presentation of the inconsistencies but I certainly cannot be exhaustive because there are many more examples than those I have almost randomly selected. However, it is my intention to provoke more focused reflection by putting a number of these examples of contradiction and inconsistency in one place. Here goes:-

· During the election campaign the Chief Minister claimed to have a "secret plan" to turn Anguilla around in six weeks. Now that he cannot deliver on that plan, twenty-one months, later he resorts to blaming the past Government for leaving the Treasury empty.

· Upon ascending to Office the Chief Minister accused the past Government of excessive borrowing. Yet in less than a year they borrowed ninety four million dollars from Social Security System alone.

· The AUM Government criticized the United Front for being reckless with the Social Security Fund when we created ASSIDCO as an investment arm of the Fund. Yet one of the Chief Minister's first executive acts after coming to Office was to sign a document pledging present and future funds of the Social Security System to secure a loan from an unaccredited lender for US$200 million. 

· The Chief Minister and his colleagues campaigned on Good Governance. Yet when he signed the authorization for the borrowing of US$200 million he did not seek, nor did he obtain Executive Council or House of Assembly approvals as required by law.

· The Chief Minister and his colleagues campaigned on transparency and accountability. Yet when he was questioned why he did not seek EXCO and House of Assembly approval as required by law he said that he did not do so because he knew he would not get the approval of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Is this not circumventing, the principles of good governance? 

· During the campaign the Chief Minister and his colleagues claimed that if the Anguilla United Front were re-elected they would impose new taxes. Now that have been elected and have imposed new and increased taxes he is now saying that these taxes were already in place and that they are British taxes not his. 

· During the campaign the Chief Minister and his colleagues strongly condemned nepotism. "Nepotism is the practice among people in power and influence of favouring their own relatives, especially giving them jobs." (a definition from an Oxford Dictionary). Yet the day after the Chief Minister was elected he appointed his oldest son Haydn as Parliamentary Secretary and the pattern has continued ever since with other colleagues. 

· The Chief Minister claimed that he would revise all MoA's to MoU's upon coming to Office and recoup the revenue that he claimed the Anguilla United Front gave away. Yet the first MoU that the Chief Minister signed resulted in the Government of Anguilla eventually losing 18 million dollars in tax revenue.

· The Chief Minister claimed that the Anguilla United Front negotiated MoA's "in the bush". Yet the Viceroy MoU is purported to have been negotiated by the Parliamentary Secretary alone; prepared on Starwood Capital stationary; and signed by the Chief Minister without the approval of Executive Council and unbeknownst to some of his Ministerial colleagues. 

· The Government accused the Anguilla United Front of giving away too much on the Cap Juluca MoA. Yet the Hon. Jerome Roberts and the Parliamentary Secretary Hughes boasted of negotiating an MoU for Cap Juluca in which they gave away over seventy acres of pond lands; seven acres of national park beach front lands; the right to remove coral reefs from the foreshore up to 100 feet; and an option for Anguillians to purchase a 20% interest in Cap Juluca. They have in fact given much more concessions than they accused the AUF of granting! 

· The Chief Minister, his colleagues and advisers boast that they reduced a deficit left by the Anguilla United Front from $70 million to $20 million in a matter of months. Yet they were never able to generate enough revenue to cover recurrent expenditure during the same period. Where did the money come from?

· The Chief Minister talks about honesty and forthrightness. Yet when questioned at one of his Press Conferences about an official report published in the newspaper regarding his salary he declared: "I do not know what my salary is it goes directly to the Bank. I don't even look at it!" Yet this is a man who knows everybody else's financial affairs!

· The Government ran on a platform of good governance. Yet the Minister of Utilities and the Chairman of the Social Security Board orchestrated a hostile takeover of ANGLEC, a publicly owned company, without following due process, apparently to expedite the party agenda. The same shareholders whose rights they claim to champion --- they were planning to make mere spectators in the decision making process of the company.

· The Chief Minister claims to be transparent with the use of public funds. Yet as Minister responsible for Social Security after being asked two specific questions in the House of Assembly by the Elected Member for Island Harbour, he still has not responded as to whether Social Security Funds were used to pay the legal fees of the lawyer in the ANGLEC case. What is the CM hiding?

· The Chief Minister claims that only the Governor can repeal or amend the draconian and "IRS style" penalties in Interim Stabilization Levy Act. Yet he passed an amendment of the Customs Act in House of Assembly to reduce the import duty on vehicles and spare parts by 50 percent. What is the difference? Just like they amended the Customs Act they can also amend or repeal any inequitable or unfair aspects of the Interim Stabilization Levy Act if required. 

· The Chief Minister is fully aware that the British Government has pledged not to stand in the way of the Overseas Territories rights to self-determination and independence once it is the expressed will of the people in a referendum. Yet the Chief Minister continues to provoke social instability by giving the impression that there is need for civil disobedience to achieve that status.

· The Chief Minister boasts about being squeaky clean. Yet there is a cloud of suspicion hanging over his head because of the government lands leased to one of his tenants to build a Shopping Mall. That tenant was the first local developer granted duty free concessions since the AUM government came to office. The question is being raised as to who actually owns the proposed development. 

· Supporters and advisors of the AUM constantly send out calls for unity. Yet they are unable to unite among themselves. One of the Ministers of the AUM continues to criticize his colleagues openly on public fora. Why is the Chief Minister afraid to punish that Minister? Does he (the Minister) have something on the Chief Minister?

· The Chief Minister knows that the situation at Cap Juluca is a longstanding ownership dispute that has its own mutually agreed framework for settlement. Why then should the Chief Minister encourage the employees to protest the Governor's Office to further his own image as a champion of the workers rather than produce any real results in their interests? Why should a self-proclaimed "champion of the workers" use them literally as "human shields" in his battles with the Governor?

· The AUM in its election campaign suggested that the past Government was corrupt and many of their Ministers, including myself would be arrested. Yet to date they have not produced any information or evidence to substantiate their spurious claims. 

It is incredible that in the face of such blaring examples of the CM and his colleagues's lies and inconsistencies --- there are persons who still seek to find excuses such as those mentioned earlier. We believe that such persons really do not want to know! One famous Trinidadian Calypsonian in commenting on such willful disregard for the facts in assessing the performance of a Government coined the jingle: "We know we like it so!" In other words, it does not matter what the Government does they will not shift their support. Which has led many of us to conclude that: "there are none so blind as those who will not see!"

By: Mr. Victor F. Bank

Victor Banks is a former Finance, Economics, Commerce and Tourism Minister on Anguilla. He is presently the leader of the Oposition Anguilla United Front Party, writer and author of a weekly political article for theAnguillian News Paper, lyricist, and a self-employed entrepreneur.

Hon. Haydn Hughes response to Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool's Press Statement

Fellow Anguillians, I am here to address you in response to the press statement made by the Honourable Member for District one, Mr. Othlyn Vanterpool. His press statement was issued on national radio on Monday 14th November 2011 and it related to the Cap Juluca issue.

I will not comment on the overtures of the United Front to, “assist the Government” while at the same time, holding a public meeting across from the Chief Minister’s residence to abuse, ridicule and malign the Chief Minister, his wife and family. I thought it important that I respond to Mr. Vanterpool’s assertion that I was given authority to renegotiate all the MOAs of the Anguilla United Front Government. I need to place on record, at no time did Executive Council nor the Chief Minister grant me any authority to negotiate the MOAs. Neither did I take it upon myself to negotiate any MOAs.

Mr. Vanterpool stated and I quote, “the Cap Juluca MOU was negotiated by Haydn and Jerome and a new MOU was signed on August 13th, 2010.”

Fellow Anguillians, that MOU which Mr. Vanterpool spoke of, was negotiated by a number of persons from Government including the Trade and Investment Committee which includes the local Attorney General Chambers. The persons who sat in the initial negotiations of the Cap Juluca MOU on August 5th 2010 in the Conference Room in the Ministry of Home affairs were, Mr. Adam Aron, Ms. Sheila Davis, Ms. Carol Webster, Ms. Collette Warner, Ms. Violet Gumbs and Mr. Cardigan Connor.

On Government’s side were Permanent Secretary EDICT Dr. Aidan Harrigan who is also the Chairman of the Trade & Investment Committee, Ms. Kathleen Rogers PS Finance, all the Ministers of Government, Hon. Jerome Roberts and I.

The negotiations with Mr. Aron and the Government of Anguilla were void of controversy and on the 13th of August, a new MOU was signed by the Chief Minister, witnessed by Minister of Social Development, Hon. Edison Baird. Asked about the new MOU His Excellency, Governor Harrison said and I quote, “I was happy. I am delighted that there was an agreement because I think it is a good one for the people of Anguilla and the Government; it is a good agreement for the employees of Cap Juluca, as well as being a good agreement for the Cap Juluca management otherwise they wouldn’t have signed it. It was a long and difficult process and I think the conclusion was a very satisfactory one from all sides.” The record would prove that if Hon. Jerome Roberts and I were to be the lone negotiators on this MOU, the comments of HE the Governor would have been much different.

I am not here to appropriate blame on anyone or any Government but to give clarity to the situation-not only as the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Tourism but also as someone who spent the better part of my life to date working in the hospitality industry of which, eleven years was spent as a Julucan, some, as a member of the Executive Committee.

The situation that has gripped Cap Juluca is one that finds its roots many years ago in 1980/81 when the Government of Anguilla granted lease to the Maundays Bay land to Mr. Dion Friedland to develop said land. Mr. Friedland in turn, sold the lease to Mr. Hickox for US$1 million. For reasons known to many, both men ended up in court over the same. A public auction held in the United States in 1997 saw the property change hands as Mr. Friedland won the rights to the property through the same. Mr. Hickox then sought a judgment in the courts for moneys owed due to his investment in Cap Juluca.

During that time, Cap Juluca and its staff suffered as the hotel’s infrastructure continued to deteriorate even though occupancies and accolades continue to pour in on our flagship.

In 2007, Hon. Hubert Hughes, as a member of the Opposition tabled a motion to the House on Tuesday, August 22nd. The motion read: 

“WHEREAS the Cap Juluca Hotel is Anguilla’s prime tourism property; AND WHEREAS several hundred Anguillians are employed in this hotel; AND WHEREAS the hotel has been the subject of serious litigation between two American citizens for several years; AND WHEREAS the hotel is in serious need of repair; BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Anguilla urgently explore all legal measures to have the property acquisitioned in order to facilitate a meaningful ownership of this hotel project.” Mr. Banks, who was Minister of Finance at the time responded by saying, “We had used not only the advice of the Attorney General, but also sought the advice of an independent law firm or lawyer to do an opinion on the process going forward. Those opinions were then up for consideration in Executive Council and within Government’s Cabinet to really fine-tune that way forward. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Member for Road South did his duty in presenting this motion to the House of Assembly. It gives a clear indication…that on both sides of this Honourable House there are persons who are concerned about the future of Cap Juluca and are willing to explore all options to ensure that takes place.”

That said it is clear that all were concerned about Cap Juluca’s survival then as is now. It means therefore that the blame that is meted out on the Hon. Jerome Roberts and me by the Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool is purely political and an attempt to mislead. He is clearly using our pride and joy, Cap Juluca as a political football to advance his political goals. This is no time for that fellow Anguillans. Chief Minister Hughes and indeed, the Government of Anguilla has given its support to Mr. Tacon, the liquidator charged with sorting out this impasse their fullest support to ensure that when Cap Juluca emerges, it will be stronger and better than before with an owner who truly deserves it.

Fellow Anguillians, I wish to inform you again that the issues at Cap Juluca are due to ownership and a settlement agreement between one owner and Mr. Hickox. On the 16th of April 2010, a press release issued by Webster Dyrud Mitchell with respect to the Cap Juluca case stated that an appeal was heard on 24th March, 2009 before Her Ladyship, the Hon. Ola Mae Edwards, Justice of Appeal, His Lordship the Hon. Michael Gordon, QC, Justice of Appeal [Ag.] and her Ladyship, the Hon. Mde. Rita Joseph-Olivetti, Justice of Appeal [Ag.] in the presence of Mr. David Phillips, QC, with him Mr. John Benjamin and Mr. David Fisher for the Appellant and Mr. Roald N.A. Henrigues, QC, with him Mr. William Roger, for the Respondent.

In the end, the Judgment ended up being in excess of US$100 million in favour of Mr. Hickox. Mr. Aron then entered into a Settlement agreement with Mr. & Ms. Hickox on 6th October 2010. The agreement stipulated that Mr. Aron would pay Mr. & Ms. Hickox some US$75 million over a period of time beginning on January 31st 2011. The payment was made. However, the payment due on July 31st 2011 was not and under the agreement, Mr. Hickox could ask for a transfer of shares which means, the hotel could revert back to him.

The MOU that was signed on August of 2010 was supposed to put Cap Juluca on stable footing and indeed, in a letter copied to the press from Mr. Aron on October 14th 2010 read, “It is with great relief that I advise the Government of Anguilla that the longstanding litigation between Cap Juluca and Charles Hickox has been formally settled. Mr. and Mrs. Hickox and I signed a settlement document a few minutes ago. This finally gives Cap Juluca the opportunity to move forward with its business plan without the cloud of litigation hanging over its head. This settlement dramatically increases the job security of more than 350 Anguillian Julucans, and also strengthens the job security for all Anguillans. Indeed anyone participating in the Anguillan economy will benefit from a stronger more secure Cap Juluca.

I would not be in a position to provide you this welcome news if the Government of Anguilla had not embraced the new Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed less than 60 days ago as you know. So, this positive outcome is the direct result of actions taken by your Government. For that support, I both congratulate you and thank you for your wisdom and confidence in allowing Cap Juluca to move forward with our ambitious but prudent plans.

Respectfully submitted,

Adam Aron

Chairman and CEO

Cap Juluca Properties Ltd.” 

Needless to say, the stability which this Government had hoped for then and previous Governments before, did not occur and there is little the Government of Anguilla can do legally to bring about a quick fix. The fact that the Chief Minister has given the assurances to Mr. Tacon of cooperation is encouraging and sets the stage for a smooth transition to long term stability for the hotel, its workers and Anguilla at large.

On Tuesday 15th November 2011, Mr. Dion Friedland sent an email to Mr. Victor Banks reminding him that it was he, not Mr. Aron who paid the staff some US$1 million and he admonished him to correct Hon. Vanterpool’s untruth in his press statement that I am now responding to. Mr. Friedland said in his email and I quote, “Dear Victor, please correct your mis-statement below. I gave $1 million (one million dollars) as a gift to the Cap Juluca employees, not Aron.” End of quote. 

In closing, I would like to say that both the Chief Minister and Hon. Jerome Roberts can speak for themselves on this matter. Again, I am merely responding to the Hon. Mr. Vanterpool for his false and misleading statements and urge the politicians on all sides to refrain from using Cap Juluca in their quest for political mileage. The record will show for over 20 years, this dispute has found its way through the courts and several Governments have done all they could to stabilize the hotel to no avail. This in itself proves that this is bigger than Government and the process must be allowed to work itself out now for the greater good.

I am truly confident that Cap Juluca, like Anguilla will rise again. I am confident that the Julucans will be proud, settled and happy when we all come out on the other side in a few weeks. The operative word now is patience. I urge the Julucans to continue giving the legendary service they have been known for and rest assured that all will be well and feel confident that Cap Juluca will be now, and in the future, the Flagship of Anguilla’s hospitality industry.

May God continue to bless Anguilla

By: Haydn Hughes

Haydn Hughes is the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Tourism, and First Nominated Member in the Anguilla House of Assembly.

“OXFORD BY BUS!”

We were very happy to hear the Chief Minister’s forceful declaration on the Cap Juluca matter during his interview with Radio Anguilla on Monday 14th November when he said that Mr. Hickox would put up “three million US dollars because he does not want the Hotel to close!” This is good news and should lift many spirits at a time when Anguilla really cannot take any more stressful reports. The Chief Minister also declared “I am confident that the Hotel can remain open!” Again this is very good news particularly for the workers at Cap Juluca and their families, for those businesses who provide services for the resort, and for Anguilla as a whole. 

However, it was very disappointing to hear the Chief Minister’s response when he was asked whether he would accept the pledge of assistance and cooperation made by the Anguilla United Front party leader in his press statement last week. I would like to make it clear that our party met in an emergency session last Sunday because we were genuinely concerned about the dangerous effects of the ownership dispute at Cap Juluca especially at this time. And we decided that we should reach out and show solidarity with the Government in their efforts to bring some resolution to the matter. We did, however, as a responsible Opposition Party, express our concerns about the approach being adopted by the Chief Minister. The transcript of the Chief Minister’s interview with Radio Anguilla reads, in part, as follows: 

Mr. Hughes: “Mr. Hickox has said that he would put 3 million US dollars because he does not want the hotel to close! And the Government of Anguilla has already committed itself to entering an MoU with Mr. Hickox; the GoA has also committed itself to the transfer of shares with Mr. Hickox. And I said that in a meeting of EXCO to Mr. Tacon and Mr. Tacon said ‘That’ s wonderful! That’s great! That process can go ahead. I am confident that the hotel can remain open!”

In reply to a question from one of the interviewers regarding whether or not he would accept any assistance from the Anguilla United Front as offered by the party leader in his press release, Mr. Hughes sharply replied:

“If the United Front was serious about Anguilla they would just hush their mouths and repent of their sins they have committed because it is due to them why we are in this mess. They are the ones who messed up Cap Juluca by signing a MoA with a man who obviously did not have the money to buy it and to do the work that was necessary and that is why Cap Juluca is in so much trouble because Aron did not have the money and according to our Alien Land Holding Licence nobody in Anguilla can get an Alien Land Holding Licence to buy property unless they can show where his funds are coming from.”

When the other interviewer asked the Chief Minister to confirm his refusal of assistance from the Anguilla United Front he was even more acerbic in his response:

Mr. Hughes: “There is no assistance they (AUF) can give me! They are only messing up things --- because they should really hide. There is no assistance they can give me! What assistance can they give me? I don’t want men to fight! And there is no technical assistance they can give me! I am more qualified than all of them put together!" 

Even though I spoke on this issue last week the comments of the Chief Minister points to some very serious concerns that I feel duty bound to highlight. The Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool, the Elected Member for Island would have touched on some of these is his incisive response to the Chief Minister’s interview, which was broadcast last evening. But I see no harm in reiterating some of the strong points he made as well as presenting a few others. I will comment on four things the Chief Minister said as follows:

1. CM: “The Government has already committed itself to entering into an MoU with Mr. Hickox and has also committed itself to the transfer of the shares to Mr. Hickox.” 

The issue at Cap Juluca is an ownership dispute in which both parties have rights that they may exercise in a court of law. As I said last week, the Chief Minister must be very careful making commitments, as he styles it, before the legal issues have been clarified. While I would hope that the Chief Minister has been properly advised, I remain cautious in the face of the protracted dispute that has plagued the property since October 14, 1988, when the original disagreement over payments under the Stock Purchase Agreement between the Friedland Group and the Hickox Group began. In fact vestiges of that dispute lie at the very core of the present travails of Cap Juluca. The history of the ownership dispute over past twenty-three years reads like a horror story and these two groups remain the main characters even in the recent purchase agreement by Mr. Adam Aron. Successive governments have always adopted a cautious approach while at the same time trying to ensure that the property remains open and that Anguilla is not exposed legally. I would therefore advise the Chief Minister that he should not step ahead of the process now taking place. I share his optimism that the Liquidator, based on his frank presentation to the Staff at Cap Juluca last week. is mindful of the importance of keeping the resort open. However, the historic realities compel us to proceed with much circumspection. 

2. CM: “If the United Front was serious about Anguilla they would hush their mouths and repent of their sins they have committed because it is due to them that we are in this mess.” 

The Chief Minister like other members of his party is adopting the “sanctimonious” approach that he can call “sinners to repentance”. But even further that the sins of the United Front caused the closure of Cap Juluca. I will treat that comment regarding repentance of “sins” with the disdain it deserves --- but I cannot overlook his statement that the Anguilla United Front should be silent because we created the mess at Cap Juluca. 

I am particularly concerned about this view because every statement from the Chief Minister and his supporters regarding, our party press releases, our public meetings, our columns in the Anguillian etc., would suggest that we should be denied the right to freedom of expression. It is amusing when one recalls the constant pounding of the Anguilla United Front Government by supporters of the AUM on the various talk shows around Anguilla before the election. There was not a murmur. Indeed, there was not even a response from the United Front Government to these statements. We were justly proud to know that all the Radio Stations were made possible and licenced by our Government in keeping with our stated commitment to freedom of expression. 

On the other hand this Government that boasts about being a “voice for the voiceless” and “champions for freedom” seems to believe that any expressions that differ from the party line or from what the Chief Minister has to say is “dividing the country”. And I have heard many talk show hosts and co-hosts, whose very existence is based on these entrenched rights of the individual in the Anguilla Constitution --- shamelessly declaring that the Opposition should stop talking and writing on issues of national importance. Ironically, these same hosts assist the Government in promulgating its campaign of lies and blame, even by virtue of their editorial policy. 

When last did you hear a voiced press release from any member of the Anguilla United Front on “Upbeat Radio”? Apparently, “Neews! Neews! Means AUM News! As the pioneer of “non- Government” news programming Upbeat has indeed fallen short of “balanced journalism”. It is a concept that it would be well advised to embrace taking example from the Management of Klass F.M. The point I am making is that this idea of the United Front “hushing its mouth” is an entrenched view that is even a part of the established media houses. Indeed, an indictment on Anguilla as a democracy! 

3. CM: “They are the ones who messed up Cap Juluca by signing an MoA with a man who obviously did not have the money to buy it and do the work that was necessary and that is why Cap Juluca is in so much trouble today because Aron did not have the money!”

There are three questions to be raised in first part of this statement. i) Is it not the Chief Minister who boasted that he would revamp all the MoA’s agreed by the past Government and replace them with new MoU’s negotiated by his Government? ii) Did not the Hon. Haydn Hughes and the Hon. Jerome Roberts boast on how they were able to negotiate a solid MoU in three days, which corrected all the errors of the past Government? iii) Did not the Hon. Hubert Hughes Chief Minister boast at the signing that both his Government and Mr. Aron were happy? The answer to all these questions will reveal that the Chief Minister is lying when he says the AUF MoA messed up Cap Juluca because he signed one subsequently, which is the official agreement and with which he and his entire Government declared that they were extremely happy in the House of Assembly and the public media. The AUF MoA was cancelled for over a year! And by the way when did the Chief Minister come to the conclusion that Mr. Aron did not have any money before or after he signed the new MoU? 

On the question of the reason for Cap Juluca’s failure being, as the CM claims, that Mr. Aron did not have the funds --- I would ask the Chief Minister the following questions: a) What caused the closure of Malliouhana Hotel? b) Why did Tenemos fail? c) What caused the failure of the Kor Group at Viceroy? d) Did Mr. Roydon, Mr. Sillerman and the Kor Group not have any money? My point is that there are always extenuating circumstances in the failure of a business and a Chief Minister should refrain from speaking disparagingly and loosely about developers in the absence of proper analysis. We would hope that the Developers for the several additional MoU’s that he has signed for new projects, have an abundance of personal funds, which he declares is the prerequisite for being granted an Alien Land Holding Licence.

4. CM: “And there is no technical assistance they (AUF) can give me! I am more qualified than all of them put together!” 

We appear to be dealing with a raving maniac! It is clear that our gesture of solidarity on the particular issue of Cap Juluca was not to provide technical assistance to the Chief Minister but rather simply to let him know that we were on his side. We were not offering him soldiers for another one of his imaginary battles either! And the issue of qualification has never been touted by us or suggested in any way as a reason for offering our assistance. We have no intention of questioning the Chief Minister’s formal or informal training and qualifications. He on the other hand seems to believe that he is more qualified than all of the members of the AUF put together. 

However, it is a fact that in terms of formal qualification the Chief Minister has claimed to have “read at Oxford University”. The accepted meaning of that term is that he is a graduate of Oxford University. On one occasion my curiosity was aroused and I raised the matter with one of his closest cousins who was inseparable from him while in England. I said to his cousin that I thought it was wonderful to hear that Mr. Hughes went to Oxford University. I was startled when his cousin replied: “Oxford University? Oxford University? Boy the only way Hubert pass Oxford University is in a bus!” 

But far be it from me to doubt the Chief Minister’s claim to excursions in formal education --- even if he also made the scenic trip to Oxford by Bus!

By: Victor F. Banks

Victor Banks is a former Finance, Economics, Commerce and Tourism Minister on Anguilla. He is presently the leader of the Oposition Anguilla United Front Party, writer and author of a weekly political article for the Anguillian News Paper, lyricist, and a self-employed entrepreneur.

“HIDING BEHIND SOMEONE'S PETTICOATS!”

As a consequence of the amount of rumour, speculation and accusations spreading around Anguilla in the wake of the breakdown of the business arrangements between the principal owner of Cap Juluca, Mr. Adam Aron and a major creditor and former owner, Mr. Charles Hickox, our party met in an emergency session on Sunday afternoon to decide on our approach to the issue. We believe that it was our responsibility as the main opposition party to show our solidarity with the workers at Cap Juluca and their families. And to indicate our willingness to support the Government in dealing with this matter professionally, despite the unsportsmanlike behaviour, which the Chief Minister and his colleagues have exhibited over the last week.

The fact that our only source of information to date is what the Government has released to the media and in light of the negative statements made by the Chief Minister and his supporters which implicate our party --- we felt it wise to make a short press statement. Even though it has been on radio and the print media I will include it here in my column for ease of reference as follows:

“The Members of The Anguilla United Front stand ready to support the Government of Anguilla in any “well-thought out” approach, which is designed to ensure that the Cap Juluca Hotel remains open. Cap Juluca Hotel has been the flagship of Anguilla’s Tourism Industry for more than twenty years and its closure would be a serious blow to the Anguillian economy especially at this time when we can ill afford to bear any further stresses to our economy. But even more serious is the impact it will have on the over 400 workers and their families, many of whom have been employed at Cap Juluca for most of their working lives --- as well as a number of other businesses that provide services to the hotel. It is not an issue that should be used as a “political football”.

Ownership disputes are not new at Cap Juluca. As a matter of fact the present owner purchased the property in the midst of a legal battle. The Government’s role in this must be professional and in the face of the limits to its legal position, must also use moral suasion to bring the issue to a conclusion that is in the best interests of the workers and Anguilla. Because of the delicate nature of the issues involved confrontational politics can only lead to a serious breakdown in the negotiations.

Of serious concern are a number of statements made by the Chief Minister and some of his advisers that seem to imply that this is the fault of the past Government; that there is a conspiracy between the Governor and the Opposition to bring down the Government; that the Attorney General is advising him wrongly; and more of the usual conspiracy theories and the blame game. At a time when the people of Anguilla are hurting and the outcome of this matter is uncertain it is irresponsible for the Chief Minister to be playing politics as usual. In fact, it is an extremely dangerous game to incite workers to believe that a particular individual or group of individuals are responsible for their plight, knowing full well that it is a lie.

There are not a lot of facts in the public domain on this matter --- only rumours and speculation. However, one fact is certain and that is, that this situation has nothing to do with MoA’s or MoU’s. It is about a dispute between the parties who were involved in the legal battle over Cap Juluca. Cap Juluca is operating on an MoU signed by the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr. Hubert Hughes more than a year ago. Like many of us Cap Juluca Hotel is a business facing financial stress. A breakdown in ones personal financial situation or that of a business is not a crime.

About eleven years ago one of the parties to the present arrangement lost the property because of a default on a financial commitment and today the other party seems to be heading in a similar direction. About eleven years ago that change of ownership occurred without the need for Cap Juluca to close. Less than two years ago an ownership change also occurred without the need for Cap Juluca to close. There is no reason why we should not try to negotiate a similarly smooth transition for the present situation at all times recognizing that each party has rights to be protected. But our chances of success will be seriously limited by the accusations; the name-calling; the blame game; and the “politicking” that is taking place. There is no need for rancour and incivility. We should be trying to bring all parties to the table to forge a positive way forward.

In many ways we believe that the Chief Minister is showing helplessness and appears to be abdicating his responsibility by encouraging the workers to march to the Governor’s Office. It is our Government that must play the leadership role in protecting the interests of the workers in particular but the people of Anguilla as a whole in this matter --- not the Governor. The Anguilla United Front is prepared to support the Government fully in ensuring that Cap Juluca remains open but will not be a party to an approach that appears to be nothing more than trying to hide behind “someone’s petticoats”! We await the Chief Minister’s polite request for any assistance we may be able to provide in taking this serious matter forward to a positive conclusion.” 

The host of “To the Point” in his hunger for ratings, and in a most irresponsible manner, tried to bring the Cap Juluca issue to his program. In pursuance of this he sought out the Leader of the Opposition, the Honourable Evans McNiel Rogers to be a part of a panel discussion on Cap Juluca. Mr. Rogers, quite aptly told him that he did not have adequate information to comment on the issue and was not prepared to accept his invitation without being armed with the facts. Apparently, Mr. Richardson proceeded with his show without panelists and used my press release to suggest that the Leader of the Opposition may not have been forthright in his statement because his Party leader seemed to have the facts. Listeners to the program have told me that one of the usual callers, was ranting and raving that I should come on the radio and talk about what is happening at Cap Juluca --- obviously he did not know that on the basis of that statement he was in fact insulting the Chief Minister and the duly elected Government.

Having made the point in the foregoing release that my party is ready to assist the Government in finding a positive way forward on this issue, I believe I have the right to explain why our party insists on a “polite request” from the Government to get our support in pursuing an objective strategy to achieve a positive solution. The overarching reason is that it appears as if the Chief Minister is at his “wits end”. In other words he does not seem to have a clue about how to resolve this issue in the least damaging way. In the circumstances, he has resorted to his “comfort zone”, namely, blaming everyone else and using the workers to threaten social unrest. There has never been a Chief Minister in the history of Anguilla or the Overseas Territories who has organized more protests against his own Government by falsely blaming other persons for situations, which are clearly within his scope of authority. We believe that the CM has to abandon that approach because it does not promote cooperation and goodwill.

This approach by Chief Minister and his colleagues has led to more questions than answers on the Cap Juluca issue. I will therefore list a few questions which have been raised to me --- so as to provoke answers that may, perchance, help to unravel the tangled web of misinformation and suggest a probable pathway to the truth.

1. Why does the Chief Minister continue to suggest that the reason for the present dispute at Cap Juluca is as a result of the MoA signed by the past Government, when in fact he signed a new MoU just over a year ago, which replaces that MoA and is now governing the relationship?

2. After claiming in the House of Assembly and other media that his Government signed an MoU to protect the workers jobs at Cap Juluca. How does the Chief Minister now claim that the possibility of closure at Cap Juluca is the fault of the past Government?

3. Why is the Chief Minister picking sides in the dispute between Adam Aron and Charles Hickox when that matter can only be handled within the legal framework of their agreement? Is the Chief Minister not exposing the Government of Anguilla to legal action by this reckless behaviour?

4. Why does the Chief Minister believe that he can remove the owner of Cap Juluca, Mr. Adam Aron and transfer the property to Mr. Hickox without expecting that Mr. Aron will defend his rights after having caused over 50 million dollars to be invested in Cap Juluca? 

5. How could the Chief Minister say that only the Governor can transfer Cap Juluca to Mr. Hickox --- when he fully well knows that the Governor’s signing of any transfer is based on Executive Council approval and the preconditions for the transfer being met by the relevant Ministry, including the Attorney General’s Chambers? 

6. Why did the Chief Minister encourage the workers to march to the Governor’s Office when he fully well knows that the Governor has no more authority to force the property to remain open than the Chief Minister does?

7. Who instigated the barring up of the Offices of the Manager of Cap Juluca? How is that action supposed to protect jobs and ensure that Cap Juluca remains open?

8. Having seen a copy of a letter to the Loyal Staff at Cap Juluca from the Executive Council and signed by the Chief Minister and the Governor. Why does the Chief Minister not use the same tone and balance on the public media when addressing serious national issues?

9. What is the Government’s game plan? Why do we get the impression that the Chief Minister believes that he can solve this issue by literally using the workers as “human shields”?

10. Whence came “Josie”? What is her role? How does she now react to the Chief Minister and his colleagues’ expression of complete confidence in the Attorney General and his Chambers after she spoke disparagingly about them on a public platform?

These are just a few of the questions that have been raised. I believe that our Government has gone about this matter the wrong way. There is no question that this is a matter of grave national concern. It could have serious repercussions for the entire economy. I believe that it would have been appropriate for the Chief Minister to call in all Elected Members of the House of Assembly and tell them that we are facing a serious national crisis and we need to work together to resolve it. This would have taken the politics out of the issue and allowed for national solidarity. Every single Member of the House will want Cap Juluca to survive this ordeal. They could then as a “united front” (no pun intended) formulate a “well-thought-out” strategy that could stand a better chance of success than “hiding behind someone’s petticoats”

By: Victor F. Banks

Victor Banks is a former Finance, Economics, Commerce and Tourism Minister on Anguilla. He is presently the leader of the Oposition Anguilla United Front Party, writer and author of a weekly political article for the Anguillian News Paper, lyricist, and a self-employed entrepreneur.

RESPONSE TO CHIEF MINISTER HUGHES COMMENTS

From The Desk of the Honourable Othlyn Vanterpool

Fellow Anguillians on Monday November 7 2011, the Anguilla United Front, Party Leader, Mr. Victor Banks, in addressing the nation on the Cap Juluca issue, extended an olive branch to the Hon. Chief Minster Hubert Hughes and his government, to support the GOA with a strategy to keep Cap Juluca open. Speaking on behalf of the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT in his capacity as party leader, Mr. Banks stated and I quote:

“The Members of The Anguilla United Front stand ready to support the Government of Anguilla in any “well-thought out” approach, which is designed to ensure that the Cap Juluca Hotel remains open. Cap Juluca Hotel has been the flagship of Anguilla’s Tourism Industry for more than twenty years and its closure would be a serious blow to the Anguillian economy especially at this time when we can ill afford to bear any further stresses to our economy. But even more serious is the impact it will have on the over 400 workers and their families, many of whom have been employed at Cap Juluca for most of their working lives --- as well as a number of other businesses that provide services to the hotel. It is not an issue that should be used as a “political football”.

End of quote.

In the same address Mr. Banks raised concerns about the approach adopted by the Chief Minister and some of his advisers. Mr. Banks made it clear that, and again I quote:

“Of serious concern are a number of statements made by the Chief Minister and some of his advisers that seem to imply that this is the fault of the past Government; that there is a conspiracy between the Governor and the Opposition to bring down the Government; that the Attorney General is advising him wrongly; and more of the usual conspiracy theories and the blame game. At a time when the people of Anguilla are hurting and the outcome of this matter is uncertain it is irresponsible for the Chief Minister to be playing politics as usual. In fact, it is an extremely dangerous game to incite workers to believe that a particular individual or group of individuals are responsible for their plight, knowing full well that it is a lie”.

End of quote:

Fellow Anguillians, one would have anticipated that in the face of constant calls for unity and assistance from members of the GOA, (the elected member of Sandy Hill in particular) and key supporters of the AUM on the many talk shows, that the Chief Minister would have welcomed the opportunity to work with the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT on this serious issue. Every one in Anguilla is concerned about Cap Juluca and want to see it remain open. We are all concerned about over 400 workers and their families, many of whom have been employed at Cap Juluca for most of their working lives --- as well as a number of other businesses that provide services to the hotel.

It was our hope that the Chief Minister would recognize this and give the call from the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT the serious consideration it deserves. We had hoped that the CM could look beyond the usual politics of lies and misleading statements. We had hope that the Chief Minister would have changed his destructive and divisive style, approach and attitude and accepted the call from the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT to work together in the interest of the workers of Cap Juluca in particular and Anguilla in general.

Fellow Anguillians, the Chief Minister response to our offer of support was in his usual style. In an telephone interview aired on Radio Anguilla today Monday November 14th , the reporter asked if he would be reaching out to the Anguilla United Front for support, in response the Chief Minister stated:

“there is no assistance they can give me, they are only messing up things because they should really hide! There is no assistance they can give – what assistance they can give me, I don’t want men to fight and there is no technical assistance they could give me, I am more qualified than all of them put together”.

Such a response flies in the face of the constant calls for unity and assistance from the very Chief Minister, his colleagues and supporters --- and is an insult to statesmanship that is required from the Office of Chief Minister. Fellow Anguillians you be the judges! We offered help, we heeded your call for unity and our Chief Minister not only refused but in refusing he resorted to insult the intelligence of the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT, its supporters and other well wishers. We will not respond to his claim about being more qualified than every one in the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT put together.

Fellow Anguillians in the said radio interview the Chief Minister stated:

“ if the united front was serious about Anguilla, they would just hush their mouths and repent of the sins they have committed” .

This statement makes a joke of democracy and further proves that the Chief Minister and his APP/AUM supporters want to silence the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT. That is why we take serious all comments in this regard whether spoken directly or posted on the many blogs and social networks. I want to make clear to the Chief Minister, his AUM/APP colleagues in Government and their supporters that the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT will NOT be silenced. We would continue to be the voice of the majority of Anguillians who refuse to accept the lies, misleading and irresponsible statements of the Chief Minister and his APP/AUM colleagues. We will be relentless in our efforts to ensure this dysfunctional government settle down and work in the best interest of all Anguillians. If our Chief Minister cannot manage we will continue with our call for him to go home. His leadership style, attitude and approach are not working for us. At this time Anguilla needs MANAGEMENT NOT MADNESS.

Fellow Anguillians, at this time the Workers at Cap Juluca remain in a state of fear and uncertainty about their future employment. They are not sure what to expect and are very anxious. Recognizing this, our Chief Minister should be at this time offering hope to these hard and deserving workers who for over the years work diligently to ensure that Cap Juluca remain among the top properties in the world. Instead the Chief Minster continues to blame the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT for what is happening there. In his interview in responding to the current issue with Cap Juluca he declared:

“ it is due to the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT why we are in this mess, they are the ones who mess up Cap Juluca by signing a MOA to a man, who obviously did not have the money to buy it and to do the work that was necessary and that why Cap Juluca is in so much trouble, because Aron did not have the money, and according to our Alien Land holding license in Anguilla, nobody should get an Alien Land Holding Licence in Anguilla to buy property unless they can show where the money is coming from”.

This Statement by the Chief Minister is laughable and shows that the Chief Minister will not stop in his efforts to mislead the people of Anguilla and in particular the workers of Cap Juluca in believing that it is the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT’s fault. Fellow Anguillians I wish to remind you of the facts relating to Cap Juluca.

The MOA with the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT Government was signed on July 27, 2009. Immediately after the signing, Mr. Aron contributed US$1million as a bonus that was shared among all staff, a gesture that he was highly praised for by all concerned. You will also recall that during the Election Campaign, the AUM convinced the people that the agreement was bad for Anguilla and when elected they would recover from Mr. Aron all that was lost under the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT Administration. Upon taking over the Government, Chief Minister Hughes indicated that he gave authority to Haydn Hughes to renegotiate all the MOA’s of the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT government. The Cap Juluca MOA was renegotiated by Haydn and Jerome, and a new MOU was signed with Mr Aron on August 13th 2010. This is the agreement that Cap Juluca has being operating under up until today. The MOU was signed at Cap Juluca in the presence of the Governor, all ministers of government, the Parliamentary Secretary and Elected Member for Sandy Hill, Jerome Roberts, as well as staff of Cap Juluca.

Yes Fellow Anguillians, Chief Minister Hughes signed a new MOU with the same Mr. Aron that he said had no money --- after the MOA of the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT. This means that the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT MoA was thrown out of the door and that MOU of Chief Minster Hughes and his APP/AUM government is the one in operation. The Anguillian Newspaper made the following report of the signing on August 20, 2010:

Mr. Hughes said the Government undertook to do as much as it could to make Mr. Aron and the workers of Cap Juluca comfortable. We sat with Mr. Aron and found him quite easy to deal with in that he never really gave us a tough time. He realised that we were willing to do a proper job,” the Chief Minister stated. He stressed that the Government had acted in the best interest of the people of Anguilla and had set a precedent by taking the MOU to the House of Assembly for the people to know about its contents. He added that even members of the Opposition had an opportunity to voice their opinion on the matter for the first time in ten years. Mr. Hughes said some amendments were made to the MOU and that everybody, including Mr. Aron and the Government, was happy!”

Fellow Anguillians the record is there for all to see and read. Today the Chief Minister is blaming the Cap Juluca crisis on the ANGUILLA UNITED FRONT rather than taking responsibility. This is what I refer to as lies and the use of misleading statements to confuse the Cap Juluca Workers and the people of Anguilla.

Fellow Anguillians by his own admission Chief Minister Hughes indicated that he was satisfied that Mr Aron was good for Cap Juluca. Further not only did he signed a new MOU but it was an MOU that gave back Mr. Aron 7 acres of the best beach land in Anguilla, the pond which was to form part of the national park for the use and enjoyment of all Anguillians, and the option for Anguillians to purchase 20% of Cap Juluca. This is what Haydn Hughes and Jerome Roberts negotiated and the Chief Hughes signed on to with Mr Aron last year. Yes fellow Anguillians! The same man who he is now saying had no money to buy and develop Cap Juluca. Mr. Hughes must now tell the people of Anguilla, since he knew Mr. Aron had no money why did he sign the MOU last year giving away so much to the same Mr. Aron? Chief Minster Hughes stop the lies! Stop the blame game! Anguilla needs MANAGEMENT not MADNESS! Fellow Anguillians! Do not allow yourself to be fooled anymore! Reject the lies of Chief Minister Hughes and his APP/AUM Government!

By: Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool 

Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool is the AUF's District-1 Representative in the Anguilla House of Assembly.

“A BUSY, BUSY MAN”

Not that the economy is doing well or the boom is back, not even sure that there is positive prospects or a future outlook that can build hope; what we have is perhaps a steady disintegration of our economic infrastructure and a steady unfavorable situation on the island that seems to be consistently getting worse. When Malliouhana closed its doors there were much speculation as to the real issues that caused the owners to pack up and leave or abandon a property that was indeed the flagship of Anguilla because it was the first major tourism facility to embark on the island and had a steady hand in the growth of our tourism. In the early nineties I recall reading about Malliouhana in an Architectural Digest as one of the world’s best architectural designs, on the shores of Anguilla. That was amazing to me; the magazine was given to me by a Canadian architect who was very popular with modern designs. This distinguished property did the island well and put Anguilla and its people on the map endeavoring to succeed in tourism on the world’s stage.

Again we find ourselves, perhaps in less than one year trying hard to maintain the service and patronage of another world rated hotel on our shores struggling to survive, now having to deal with the encounter of such a controversy between owners which the people of Anguilla are unable to accept, or simply not willing to entertain. More so, this hotel “Ca juluca” has been a matter of intervention quickly after this government took office hoping to preserve a better outlook for the facility and maintain its status in our tourism and improve its benefits to the people of Anguilla. Such conflicts, rising to national prominence always reflect presumptive inclinations, apart from the depth of the financial situation we read about, apparently there is some political meddling. Presumption being, that it is said that one party is being influenced by the closeness, and affiliation with the powers that be, that being “his Excellency the Governor, while the other side seems to enjoy the cooperation and association of the other distinguished partner in our government framework “the honorable Chief Minister and his government. At this juncture it brings to the surface the standing stale mate between the Governor and the Chief Minister which has implications, it also highlights the need for a balance approach in dealing with such problems, laying equal blame in this regard. The Cap Juluca problem has re energized the Chief Minister and made him a Busy, Busy Man in recent weeks, which he seems to be enjoying. It has spotlighted him as a man in action, reinforcing his mantra of working in the interest of “the small man.

Another project of great interest emerging in recent weeks is that of Scrub Island and the prospect it holds to contribute positively to the general economy and at best make a marked difference for the eastern end of the island. With the prospect of such major investments in this area it is bound to raise our anticipation with the hope that indeed such a project would take shape, taking note that this is not the first prospect for Scrub Island, similar investments were already made on Scrub during the seventies I believe, notwithstanding the scope and dimension of this one. When we put all of this together it seem to indicate some degree of prospect for the island, being hopeful that Cap Jaluca would resolve it’s impasses and normalcy would return quickly considering that we are right now entering the peak Tourism season. 

While there appear to be some economic movement on the island we are now learning that a major political storm is brewing inside AUM. If we are to give any credence to the World Wide Web, we know that news travel very quickly via the much desired social media and in particular for us the blogs we visit ever so often. What might appear to be somewhat amusing to some should be of grave concern if what is being reported is true. The report suggests the formation of an internal plot within AUM to diminish the honorable Chief Minister for what appears to be a softening of his hard line stance against the Governor and FCO. A radical arm now emerging is gearing up to eliminate Eddie and restructure the government from the interior, which consequently would call for major reshuffling and new appointments. Usually when such reports are preempted there is some “pull back” just to minimize the alarm but this story is worth keeping a very careful eye on.

In a previous writing I called, and advocated the distinguishable need for a real national leader to emerge to provide leadership to “the country,” not with any disdain for the party structure, but leadership of the future must rise above party allegiance and loyalty providing a vision for the country, one that would give light and the people would follow rather than the emerging of strong-armed political groups wishing to absorb power and distribute that power to uncharacteristic loyalists, some whom have already declared their will to lead a new revolution. Such moves must be anticipated with the diminishing “Authority and Will” of our present Chief Minister considering human and physical dynamics. Chatter from the inside seems to indicate that time is of the essence and imminent change is necessary. The country needs adequate future leadership which must be distinguished from the radical elements that would easily usurp the good will of society under an umbrella of deception. We must be able to read between these lines written in fine print so that under no condition a vacuum is created because of the lack of appropriate leadership and vigilance, throwing the country into utter chaos.

By Elliot J. Harrigan

“TIME FOR SOME GOOD NEWS!”

Over the past week culminating on Sunday, I had the opportunity to participate in a number of evangelical services on Anguilla at the Bethel Methodist Church as well as a dedication service for the newly built Good News Baptist Church in St Maarten. All of these events were to say the least inspiring. And the messages that emanated from the various pulpits were both uplifting and edifying. Among several others, there seemed to be a common theme in all these events, that is, the role of the Christian Church in the community and need for believers to grow in Christ and use their special talents to bring others into the fold to make a positive difference in their communities and the world. For those who came with an open heart and mind the messages were very personal indeed. And I am certain that every heart was touched in some measure by the worship experience as a whole.

The dedication service in St Maarten, however, had an additional dimension that transcended the “spoken word” and the worship and fellowship experience. It was the physical manifestation of what can be achieved by Leaders with a strong faith motivating “god fearing” people to do great things. I am certain that every single Anguillian (and there were over a hundred strong) who made the decision to travel to St. Maarten to attend the dedication service for the Good News Baptist Church in St. Peters were exceedingly proud. That pride comes from the fact that a young Anguillian Pastor and his family decided to move to St. Maarten seven years and seven months ago and led a congregation of believers to do great things. It was not in a “strange land” given our historical, social, familial and economic connections, but it was certainly not the country of his birth and infant nurture. Pastor Roderick Webster as a new Pastor assigned to a church already established for thirty-five years, convinced his congregation to tear down the old church building and construct a new one from the ground up.

The new Good News Baptist Church dedicated on Sunday October 30th, 2011 is a magnificent edifice in the heart of the St. Peters Community. It is an imposing structure without and awesome sanctuary within. Its beauty and splendour is befitting the purpose for which it was built --- to worship and glorify God. And only strong faith, perseverance and sound leadership could have led to its completion.

It is also very obvious that Pastor Webster is well loved and respected by his congregation, which is a clear indication of caring and understanding leadership. We salute Pastor Webster for this demonstration of how good Leadership constrained by a love of God can move people to do exceedingly greater things than they even imagined. Not only his colleagues in the Priesthood Ministry --- but those in the Political Ministry who were invited to the service as well, liberally heaped such salutations and kudos on the Pastor and his family. One could not but reflect on the biblical observation that “ a prophet is not without honour but in his own country.”

Speaking of caring and understanding leadership the cries of many people in our beloved country Anguilla ring out as they try to make sense of what has actually befallen them. Everyday we stumble from one crisis to another as if to remind us of the predictions of Rev. John A. Gumbs that “we would be punished”. Unhappily though, that punishment was not predicted to apply to persons who voted for the AUM, but to the Anguilla United Front supporters who in their loyalty to a government that gave them several years of prosperity and decisive leadership voted for the AUF. According to the AUM cleric, in so doing they “committed an act against God”. As lesser mortals, and like “the publican standing afar off” many of us must have said: “God be merciful to me a sinner!” The reality is that the AUM and the AUF supporters as well as the APP and other independents in between may be suffering from that apparent “act of blasphemy” that was committed by a “self-proclaimed intermediary” professing to relay a missive from God. On the other hand without claiming to received any revelation from the most high, I had predicted during the election campaign that the AUM could “fly an election campaign but could not land a government!” Just in last week’s Anguillian alone there were two contributions that give support to my point view, namely, a “Letter to the Editor” by Mr. Sheridan Smith and an “Open Letter to Honourable Walcott Richardson” by the Honourable Edison Baird, the Minister of Social Development. I will discuss them briefly to elucidate my point.

Mr. Sheridan Smith’s Letter. In his letter to the editor Mr. Smith was for the most part commenting on a discussion of a letter that he sent to the Chief Minister as the Minister also responsible for Finance and Economic Development on July 1, 2011 and copied to the Anguillian for public information/education. The letter presents a clear proposal worthy of discussion on how the Government might develop some new revenue streams. Mr. Smith’s proposal became the subject of discussion on the well-known “ Mayor’s Show” between three Anguillian panelists living in the United States. According to Mr. Smith as usual Mr. Haydn Hughes, the Parliamentary Secretary called in with an intervention that exposed a concession for the Viceroy based on the full waiver of alien landholding licence fees for a period of five years. Mr. Smith’s view is that though his proposal suggested a reduction in alien landholding licence fees, it was based on an industry wide concession to stimulate the economy rather than an individual property.

Obviously, Mr. Smith’s proposal could take some fine-tuning but it is not far removed from the concession that the Anguilla United Front granted in the early period of the recession to stimulate the sale of high priced real estate for a period of twelve months in the first instance. The concession was made known in a release from the Ministry of Finance on July 1, 2009, which in part read as follows:

“During this period of financial constraints it is important that we make every effort to revitalize the real estate sector as well as the construction activity, which flows from it. This does not mean a relaxation of the policy on land alienation as it relates to undeveloped land but assisting properties that are already developed to be disposed of when required. It is apparent that when times are tough every penny counts and real estate agents and property owners have been complaining that the high alien land holding licence fee is a disincentive to buyers from outside of Anguilla. In these times of tight liquidity it is important to attract financial resources from outside of Anguilla. This can be achieved without embarking on a program of massive land alienation. That would not be a good thing in the long term.

To address these needs the Government of Anguilla (GOA) as a part of its Fiscal and Economic Recovery Plan (FERP) will be putting in place an incentive to generate economic activity in this area. In this context, the Government, effective today July 1, 2009, will reduce the Alien Land Holding Licence Fees on real estate transactions on built development. On such transactions the applicable fees which are set at twelve and a half percent (12.5 %) will now be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for real estate transactions valued at less than Five Million U.S. Dollars (> US$ 5,000,000) --- and by sixty percent (60%) for real estate transactions valued over Five Million U.S. Dollars (< US$5,000,000). This means that the applicable fees for these categories will now be six and a quarter percent (6.25 %) and five percent (5%), respectively. This incentive will be for a period of twelve months ending June 30, 2010.”

While I am not acquainted with the details of Haydn Hughes’s stated concessions I am surprised that as one of the “campaign pilots” of the AUM that criticized the Anguilla United Front for excessive concessions --- he seems to be boasting about specific concessions to one property exclusively. The point that Mr. Smith so eloquently makes is that such a concession must be for the general real estate sector rather than for any particular project --- which is exactly what the Anguilla United Front did. The general AUM behaviour continues to demonstrate that the same policies which they condemned are the ones they are forced to adopt --- but without a sense of balance and careful analysis.

Mr. Smith in his letter also makes a point worthy of repetition as he analyzes our present predicament when he wrote: “The one thing this government has achieved is that it has squandered the people’s trust. …. “Just imagine that these cowards would go Into the House of Assembly just to be able to curse each other. And if anyone disagrees with them they go to the extremes to annihilate the character of hardworking honest citizens.” … “Who left Anguilla in a will just for them?” Four of my “oft repeated” points are included in that quote from Mr. Smith: 1) They have deceived Anguillians. 2) They are cowards. 3) They cannot take criticism. 4) They believe that the rules do not apply to them.

Mr. Baird’s Letter to Mr. Walcott R’dson. In his open letter to Mr. Richardson the Minister of Education laments his inability to get consensus from his own colleagues in Government to pass the Education Bill 2011. All this despite the fact that it was agreed in Executive Council after a period of wide consultations; later taken to the House of Assembly where its second reading was postponed by the Speaker of the House acting in her own discretion; brought back to Executive Council for further amendments; it was re-gazetted for further public consultations; the Bill was then openly opposed by the Minister’s colleagues on public talk shows; and the Minister has now decided that after eight times it would be futile to take the Bill back to Executive Council unless he receives his colleagues’ objections in writing. This whole issue is shameful example of the inability of the Chief Minister to manage and control his own Government. It is a national political fiasco. It reinforces my point that the AUM cannot “land a government”. There is opposition from without and within and the Chief Minister is helpless to do anything about it. He cannot control his own Ministers! And it brings back the question raised by the same Mr. Baird in “His Confessions” in his other statement to the Press entitled: “Who Runs Anguilla?”

Mr. Baird points out that the purpose of the Bill is to “provide for the orderly and coordinated development of a relevant, varied and comprehensive educational system in Anguilla characterized by excellence.” He indicates that his colleagues’ opposition to the Bill after such extensive discussion and consultations is “unfathomable and unreasonable”. And he emphasizes the fact that “it is unfair to the Anguillian children, through inaction, to allow other islands to run furiously ahead of us.”

This entire issue raises serious questions! In this challenging period when it is necessary to have stability in Government why are Ministers bickering among themselves on national media? Is the Chief Minister capable of resolving this matter with his Ministers? Is Mr. Baird satisfied with the relationship he has with his Ministerial Colleagues? Is Mr. Baird the problem or is it the other Ministers? If Mr. Baird is the problem why does the Chief Minister not dismiss him? If Mr. Baird is having problems with the Chief Minister and his colleagues on the other hand why does he not resign? This is a real dilemma which points to deeply rooted dysfunctions in the Government. And must have a serious effect on achieving good governance. Unlike the Good News Baptist Church there is no caring and understanding leadership in the GOA providing positive motivation for our people in these challenging times.

Finally, I have intentionally decided not to comment at this time on the present situation at Cap Juluca --- even though the blogs are filled with the usual “smoke screens” seeking to divert attention and spread lies. We recognize our responsibility to allow the principals involved at the ownership level, to resolve their issues within the legal framework of their agreement without any real or perceived interference from our party. Even though we remain concerned about the number of “loose statements” which the Chief Minister continues to make without regard for the delicate nature of the issues involved. Everyone is hurting! It is time for some Good News!

By: Victor F. Banks

Victor Banks is a former Finance, Economics, Commerce and Tourism Minister on Anguilla. He is presently the leader of the Oposition Anguilla United Front Party, writer and author of a weekly political article for the Anguillian News Paper, lyricist, and a self-employed entrepreneur.