Low growth
The World Bank says that growth in the Caribbean region, excluding Haiti, will accelerate modestly to 3.2% in 2010.
That’s up from 2% last year.
The World Bank also said that its various arms had committed $17.9 billion in fiscal year 2010 to support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as they recover from the global financial crisis.
The Bank says it has pledged a record level of assistance to developing countries generally.
Antigua election case continues
Lawyers representing Antigua’s main opposition party will today urge the appeal court to uphold a judgement nullifying the election of three cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer.
The ministers have asked the court to throw out the ruling by Justice Louise Blenman that the late opening of polling stations in the three constituencies affected the results.
In his submission, the government’s lead counsel, Douglas Mendes, however contended that there were no substantial breaches of the process.
He said that despite the lapses, eligible voters had time to cast their ballots once they were present at closing time.
British Queen’s Counsel James Guthrie will put the arguments of the opposition.
Preval visits Havana
The Haitian President Rene Preval has arrived in Cuba ahead of trips to Jamaica and Venezuela.
In Jamaica, he’ll attend the annual Caribbean Community (Caricom) mid-year summit.
While Preval will be in Montego Bay, it has been reported in Jamaica that four heads of government will miss the summit.
Puerto Rico budget approved
Demonstrators in Puerto Rico clashed with police as protests over proposed budget cuts turned violent in San Juan on Thursday.
The US territory’s Congress approved a $9.1 billion fiscal budget even as police used batons and pepper spray to disperse the protesters.
Eyewitnesses said most of the demonstrators were university students and teachers.
‘Don’t decolonise me’
At its latest meeting, the United Nations decolonisation committee expressed deep concern that colonialism had not yet been totally eradicated, 50 years after the General Assembly adopted a declaration on independence.
The committee, which is chaired by St Lucia’s Donatus St Aimee, has, among others, been looking at the status of six Caribbean colonies, including Montserrat.
Speaking in the Montserrat legislature this week, the Chief Minister, Reuben Meade, said the island wouldn’t be pressured into giving up its links with Britain.
“I hear this thing about UN decolonisation committee, nobody is going to decolonise me,” he told the legislature.
He said there would be no change in Montserrat’s status without the people’s approval in a referendum.
