Caribbean RoundUp

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said regional shareholder governments of the now defunct LIAT and the Caribbean Development Bank have agreed to selling three aircraft to the newly formed LIAT 2020, for the launch of the new inter-regional airline.

Browne said his government will pay US$20.1 million to acquire and operationalise the aircraft and that the new airline is being formed in partnership with a private Nigerian airline called Air Peace.

Air Peace will invest US$60 million into LIAT 2020 and, as the largest shareholder, will operate the new airline, Browne added.

Browne said approximately EC$200 million (EC$1 = US$0.37 cents) will be spent to improve air connectivity and strengthen the regional integration movement.

However, LIAT 2020 must comply with the regulatory requirements for the grant of an air operators certificate (AOC) by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).

Under Antigua and Barbuda’s laws ECCA has to be satisfied that an applicant for an AOC is an Antigua and Barbuda citizen.

In 2023, Allen Onyema, the founder of Air Peace, had obtained Antigua and Barbuda citizenship under the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme.

Guyana

Guyana’s 65- seat legislature recently agreed to changes to the law governing aviation in the country, saying these are needed for national security and public safety.

Among the changes are for the authorities to be able to intercept aircraft flying illegally over Guyana’s territory and for there to be “no-fly zones” to restrict or prohibit aircraft of other countries from flying over certain areas.

“I know some of us may say, ‘Well, we’re not there yet, but we’re looking into the future and we have to be able to get those (provisions) in place,” said Juan Edghill, the minister who oversees the aviation sector.

All 16 amendments proposed by Edghill to the 2018 aviation law were detailed in the new Civil Aviation Amendment Bill 2024 and passed by the National Assembly. He gained the full support of the opposition.

President Irfaan Ali is expected to sign the changes into law soon and all the regulations will be outlined in detail by Edghill thereafter.

The bill states, “The pilot-in-command of any aircraft, when in flight over the territory of Guyana, shall comply with any marshalling signal, interception order or manoeuvre” as directed by Guyanese authorities.

These orders would be in accordance with the Chicago Convention, which is an international agreement that established the rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, and details regarding international air travel. Compliance with the convention is managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Further, the new bill states that Guyana would reserve the right to restrict or prohibit an aircraft of another state from flying over certain areas of its territory.

“I’m sure all of us know there what is called restricted or no-fly zones – you can’t fly within a certain distance of the (US) White House, you can’t fly within a certain distance of the Pentagon. And these are all outlined, and everybody ought to know. So that Guyana (with the new law) would also be in a position to issue those instructions,” Edghill stated.

Anyone who breaches the interception orders could be fined $5 million or be jailed for five years.

The changes to the 2018 legislation are among measures Guyana is taking ahead of an upcoming audit by ICAO.

Haiti

The search for a new prime minister of Haiti has flooded the inboxes of a transitional presidential council with dozens of candidates pushing to become the country’s next leader.

The council announced it would accept submissions for prime minister from May 13-17, saying it was following proper procedure and seemingly ignored the April 30 announcement.

Political parties, business leaders, the diaspora and even religious institutions submitted their choice for the position currently filled by interim Prime Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert.

Diego Da Rin with the International Crisis Group said Haiti’s next prime minister shoulders immense responsibilities, including restoring security, reforming the country’s constitution, organising elections and creating a commission for truth, justice and reparation, all in less than two years.

“Many of the candidates clearly lack the necessary experience and skills for this role,” Da Rin said.

“Nevertheless, some of these under-qualified candidates are supported by various political groups aiming to leverage the significant influence the next prime minister will wield to further their own interests.”

It’s unclear how long it will take the seven members with voting powers within a nine-person council to select a candidate as a previous attempt to choose a new prime minister proved futile  leading to a fallout between some council members.

On April 30, a four-person coalition within the council unexpectedly announced it had chosen a new prime minister: Fritz Bélizaire, a former sports minister.

The council members who were not part of the coalition criticized the surprise move and pushed for a former selection process as required by the framework that created the council and outlined its responsibilities.

The council has not released the names of the candidates submitted.

Jamaica

Jamaicans have been put on alert for higher than normal temperatures as the recent high humidity produced by cloudy conditions and/or rainfall could cause the temperatures to feel even warmer.

In a recent statement, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica (MSJ) said also it was aware of social media posts circulating indicating that over the next few days the country could experience a rise in temperature of five degrees above normal.

But the Meteorological Service said that while the accompanying graphic on the weather report seems to have come from a trusted source, the data indicates higher than normal temperatures between one and three degrees and not five as was being circulated.

“The interpretation has been somewhat misleading,” the MSJ stated, adding that higher than normal temperatures, averaging one to three degrees, have been experienced across Jamaica in recent weeks.

The Met Office is urging Jamaicans to maintain adequate hydration and stay cool during the hot days.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia has become the latest Caribbean country to implement water rationing measures as the region continues to feel the effect of a prolonged dry period.

Government has approved the fourth water-related emergency in the past 10 years, and the chief executive officer of the Water and Sewerage Company Inc (WAS- CO), Zilta George-Leslie, said that once the order is published in the official Gazette, anyone who contravenes the measure would be committing an offence and liable to a fine of not less than EC$3,000 (One EC dollar US$0.37 cents) or imprisonment of not less than six months, or both upon summary conviction.

She said that a further fine of not less than EC$50 would be imposed daily the breach continues.

“All consumers of potable water in St Lucia are therefore urged to restrict the use of potable water for non-potable uses,” George-Leslie told reporters, adding that WASCO is recommending essential usage as water necessary to sustain human life, domestic animals’ lives, and maintain hygiene and sanitation standards.

WASCO said there would be restrictions on activities including using potable water to water lawns, pressure wash, mix concrete and fill swimming pools.

WASCO also added that it would be implementing dry season mitigation measures as well as an island-wide sharing initiative as part of its commitment to “responsible resource management.” They have also increased the number of crews dealing with leak repairs.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves is calling on his fellow governors of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to stop “exposing” the financial institution “to further ridicule and undoubtedly, more litigation” and move on from the “resignation” of its former president, Dr. Hyginus “Gene” Leon.

In a May 14, 2024 letter sent to “my fellow members of the CDB board of governors,” Gonsalves said he has been asked to “vote on whether the Caribbean Development Bank should accept the resignation of Dr. Leon from his position as president of the CDB, or whether he should be terminated — as of a date three weeks beyond his resignation letter.”

Lawyers representing Leon wrote that it was “evident” the CDB had “lost all trust and confidence in our client by the failure of the board of governors to prevent the continued violations of its charter, policies, rules and regulations with regard to its elected president.”

“Our client has, therefore, made the extremely difficult decision to resign his elected position of the president of the bank with immediate effect,” lawyers said.

Lawyers added that the CDB had until May 4 “to negotiate an amicable separation,” indicating also that their correspondence should be viewed “as our client’s pre-action protocol letter” regarding the entire situation.

In January, the CDB announced that Dr. Leon had been placed on administrative leave as “an ongoing administrative process” continued at the region’s premier financial institution and has remained silent on the circumstances surrounding the decision.

— Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan