5 ay Sd

_ WORLD

Public inquiry on corruption
sought by Antigua opposition

By NORMAN FARIA
Tribune Caribbean Correspondent

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — None of the
wind funnelling down the hills of famed
English Harbour seems to reach Limey’s

ar, formerly the verandah of Officers’
quarters of the Royal Navy’s base during
the 18th century. To while away the hours
of a languid afternoon I turn to look at the

Many small visiting cruising yachts and
their skippers and crews who have come
here to the beautiful waters of the northern
Caribbean from several countries. -

Overhead, an occasional whining of jet
€ngines on Air Canada and other carriers
femind me that visitors also come in
through the island’s international airport. In
all, Antigua-Barbuda, to use the official
name, was visited by some 149,300 tourists
last year, including 36,600 from Canada.

_ As with the case in several other Eng-
lish-speaking nation states, there has been
an increase in the standard of living because
of the tourist spending. Indeed, there are
those who argue that, despite the well
documented links of top party personnel in
illegal drug smuggling, this ‘‘prosperity”’
Was a significant reason for last months’ 31
Out of 49 seat win in the neighbouring
Bahamas by the Progressive Liberal Party
of Sir Lynden Pindling. Pindling is now re-
Suming the reins of power for an unpre-
Cedented fifth term, although opposition
forces like the Free National Movement
contend massive fraud was involved.

However, because of the ownership or
Control of many of the large hotels by such
international corporations as Cunard and
Marriota, coupled with kickbacks to local

~ politicians, the potential for much more
benefits to the average islander is readily

apparent. :
The corruption in high government
Places is no better borne out than in the

charges by opposition forces in Antigua that
eat Sueanw in the Vere Bird Snr. An-
tigua Labour Party administration pocketed
several millions following a scam involving
repairs to the airport.

Late last year, the Outlet newspaper, the
organ of the opposition Antigua Caribbean
Liberation Movement (ACLM) blew the
whistle in the island on the hanky-panky by
top AFL brass, possibly including one of
Bird’s sons. Both the ACLM and the one-
year-old United Democratic Labour Party
(UNDP) led by physician Dr. Iver Heath,
say the rehabilitation work of the airport —
built interestingly, with the assistance of
Canada in 1981 — should only have cost at
the most (US) $750,000. Grab a calculator
and you will see that somebody or bodies
got away with a cool $10.75-million which
came from a consortium of French banks.
That’s a lot of money where the average
islander working in the hotels or as a
fisherman may only make US$3-4,000 per
year average.

In an interview with the Tribune, Dr.
Heath said: ‘‘Our position has been prompt
from the beginning. We asked for a public
inquiry. We also asked that the Minister
who had negotiated the loan be suspended
from his duties until we get the results of this
investigation. But none of these things have
been done. There is no way $11 million
could have been used on the project,”’ Dr.
Heath, a 61-year-old surgeon whose Na-
tional Democratic Party merged with the
Progressive Labour Movement to form the
UNDP, argued.

The Minister involved failed to show up
for two appointments with the Tribune for
an interview on the matter. However, the
ACLM, particularly through the use of Our-
let, has been in the front ranks in demanding
that those responsible for the unaccount-
able cashcome clean on the wrong doings at

TRIBUNE PHOTO — NORM FARIA ~

the airport which is named the Vere Bird
Snr. International Airport.

Although elections are not constitu-
tionally due before 1989, political observers
say that the poll could be called anytime.
And both the UNDP and the ACLM,
through a possible coalition, could well
bring down the Bird government which has
ruled Antigua since the early 1940s except
for a brief period following an electoral de-
feat in 1963 at the hands of the PLM under
George Walter.

Significantly, the UNDP has the backing
of the powerful Antigua Workers Union,
whose General Secretary, Keithly Smith
told the Tribune that it is opposed to arrog-
ant and anti-worker policies of the govern-
ment. The AWU, which together with the
government aligned Antigua Trades and
Labour Union, is the mainstay of the or-
ganized trade union movement in the
former British colony.

HEATH: There’s no way $11-million could
have been used...

‘Socialism
working
in China’

Continued from page 3
plow increased productivity back
into the enterprise and not
strictly into increased wages.

© “Opening up to the outside
world” through the creation of,
among other things, four special
economic zones near Hong
Kong, Taiwan and Macao.
Workers in the zones make 200
per cent of what Chinese in reg-
ular enterprises earn. While the
bulk of the ownership of such
enterprises rests with foreign
companies, management is
Strictly Chinese national and
many of the parts for produc-
tion come from mainland China.
Therefore China has not only
procured foreign currency but
the technology as well, mean-
ing, Wilson said, that the social-
ist system is enhariced rather
than undermined. There are no
unions in the zones — officials
said at such high wages, there is
little incentive to form one
— but government-legislated
workers’ congresses contribute
to the management of the
enterprises and make decisions
on production quotas.

“The overwhelming, domi-
nant thing in China today is that
socialism is finally starting to
work for the Chinese people,
and they are responding to
that,” he said.

He said the reforms hold out
the hope that “‘if the two largest
Communist parties in the world .
can see eye to eye on political
economy, maybe it won’t be too
long before they see eye to eye
on other things as well.”

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS Tom Morris

—

Sanitizing
rape and murder

‘Remarkable performance”
is the most often used descrip-
tion of Oliver North’s tele-
Vision tour de force last week.

North was made for Ameri-

of some 30,000 people was
sanitized. North’s grin suc-
ceeded in making America
forget he is the top hired gun
for Reagan, Casey, Poin-
dexter, McFarlane and others
who are directly responsible
for murder, torture, arson, and
blockade in Nicaragua.

television ratings. An unde-
clared war with people dying
every day becomes mean-
ingless compared to who wins
or loses on the 6:30 news. The
rape of an impoverished coun-
try is never mentioned in the
hours of talk.

It’s a sad and obscene spec-

Can public opinion, just as that
» public opinion was cunningly
Crafted to accept an Oliver

The hearings are a race for

tacle.

.

North. His performance was
Perfect — just the right por-
“ons of patriotism, anger,
loyalty, humor, aggressive-
ness, coyness and plain old
Wide-eyed innocence.

He admitted lying to Con-
gress. He admitted illegally
accepting gifts. He admitted
destroying evidence. He ad-
Mitted illegally using funds for
his personal shopping.

Still his popularity soared.
U.S. polls showed 67 per cent
See him as ‘‘a true patriot:”’ 61
Per cent say he’s ‘‘a national
hero.’’ Even worse, public ap-
Proval rate for the contras
Jumped as a direct result of
North's testimony.

Theft was sanitized. Perjury
Was sanitized. Bribery was
Sanitized. Criminal obstruction
Was sanitized.

Thank God, under our

Ne
ORT
CA

democratic system,

Congress and the
people are entitled

to be denied the
right to Know
anything
about covert
operations.

~

But most of all, the murder

Teamwork
par excellence

It was difficult to tell which
was the organ-grinder and
which the monkey.

There was North, allegedly
responding to questions posed
by Utah Republican senator
Orrin Hatch: ‘“‘What do you
think will happen colonel,”
purred Hatch, “if we don’t
support the democratic resist-
ance and ignore the communist
threat ... in Central Ameri-
ca?”

Squaring his shoulders,
looking directly into the
cameras, North replies to this
windfall: ‘‘You will see
democracy perish. . . a flood of
refugees trying to cross our
borders and potentially the
construction of a Berlin-type
wall to keep people out ...”’

Ten million refugees pouring
over the Mexico-U.S. border!
Some may even move in next
door! A Berlin-type wall! The
death of democracy! America
in peril! ;

How lucky the good senator
asked the question ... How
fortunate the brave colonel
was there to respond!

Abbott and Costello never
looked better.

In the name of ‘national se-
curity’: Giant chart of North’s
personal spending.

Cashing in
on the flag

Since some (like Secord)
were buying Porsche sports
cars with Iran/contra slush
funds, North’s few trips to the
grocery store to put food in his
kiddies’ mouths could be cal-
led petty shoplifting.

And why not some snow
tires, hotel rooms, restaurant
meals, hosiery, gas for the fam-
ily car? Or what’s wrong with
accepting a $14,000 security
system for the old homestead
from an admirer? Or a $200,000
retirement nest egg from
another?

Patriotism isn’t poverty, you
know...

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JULY 22, 1987¢ 9