#further incentive to come to the objectively better coast (the east)

[mekanikaltrifle]

looking up scottish shit for reasons and came across a guide to when the best times of the year to visit the country are...

haha suffer weaklings

[valiantchildstudentme-blog]

Indonesia as a Maritime Power: Jokowi’s Vision, Strategies, and Obstacles Ahead

New Post has been published on http://gampangqq.link/indonesia-as-a-maritime-power-jokowis-vision-strategies-and-obstacles-ahead/

Indonesia as a Maritime Power: Jokowi’s Vision, Strategies, and Obstacles Ahead

Introduction

Earlier this year, electoral debate in Indonesia powered up a national discourse about the country’s intent, capabilities, and roadmap as a maritime power in the Indo-Pacific region. Indonesia’s newly installed president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, promised in his election manifesto in May 2014 to (1) focus on strengthening Indonesia’s maritime security, (2) expand the canvas of regional diplomacy to cover the entire region of the Indo-Pacific, and (3) project the Indonesian navy as a respected regional maritime power in East Asia.[1] He further announced in June 2014 that he aimed to transform Indonesia into a “global maritime axis” (poros maritim dunia).[2] He reaffirmed his vision after being declared victorious in July 2014 and called upon all citizens to “work together to develop Indonesia into a global maritime axis, a global civilizational hub.”[3] While taking the oath of office to become Indonesia’s seventh president on October 20, 2014, Jokowi reiterated his call to transform Indonesia into a maritime nation and invoked the slogan of “Jalesveva Jayamah” (in the ocean we triumph).[4]

Jokowi’s articulations are an important step forward in Indonesia’s effort towards developing a grand maritime strategy. His vision goes beyond the idea of merely achieving maritime security and seeks to transform Indonesia into a maritime power. He is the first president in democratic Indonesia to publicly promulgate a maritime security doctrine, taking the debate out of the pages of the policy documents and placing it into the domain of a broader politico-strategic discourse. In light of these debates and discussions, this paper examines Jokowi’s ideas and what they mean for Indonesia’s grand maritime strategy in the coming years.

Maritime Connectivity and Commerce

One key objective of Jokowi’s idea of Indonesia as a global maritime axis is enhancing inter-island connectivity and upgrading port infrastructure within the Indonesian archipelago, which encompasses thousands of islands and spans almost 6 million square kilometers. Many of these islands remain unconnected to their neighbors and and several benefit from only loose or intermittent contact. This lack of connectivity is more pronounced in the outer islands of Eastern Indonesia, such as Maluku and North Maluku. As a result, many of these islands have acted as self-sufficient economies, not contributing to or benefitting from national economic production and distribution processes. Similarly, Indonesia’s port infrastructure has suffered from neglect and financial constraints over the years. Many of the ports are in bad shape and impede the country’s internal and external maritime commerce in the form of revenue losses, time-lag, procedural delays and inadequate port facilities. According to a World Bank report, shipping a container from Padang to Jakarta costs more than three times as much shipping the same container from Jakarta to Singapore.[5] As a consequence, Indonesia’s maritime trade and commerce has failed to utilize its full potential. The nascent doctrine envisages that the revamping of the country’s maritime infrastructure, including the development of better ports and ships, could transform Indonesia into a hub of regional maritime trade and commerce. Inter-island connectivity, it is hoped, would enable effective internal utilization and prevent external poaching of maritime resources. An inter-connected archipelago could leverage Indonesia’s choke points and maritime corridors to enhance trade and commerce.

Though the idea of Indonesia as a global maritime axis may come as a novelty to many, it is not a new idea. The transport department of Indonesian government has set up a three-pronged archipelago belt project – the Northern, Middle and Southern Archipelago Belts – to connect different parts of Indonesia.[6] Maritime connectivity was an important agenda item for Indonesia during the APEC Focus Group Discussion in April 2013.[7] ASEAN also has sought to achieve inter-island connectivity through its plans of developing a “nautical highway system” or proposed “ring shipping route” in maritime Southeast Asia as a part of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.[8] Though the idea of interconnecting thousands of Indonesian islands has long existed, it received serious governmental attention for the first time in the Defense White Paper of 2003 and was further elaborated in the Defense White Paper of 2008.

Maritime Security: Minimum Essential Force (MEF) and More

There is also a security dimension to Indonesia’s attempt to better govern its maritime domain. Acutely aware of how the Dutch sought to reimpose colonialism after the Second World War by using Indonesia’s vast waterways, how Sumatran rebels engaged in seaborne political subversion during the 1957 PRRI/Permesta Rebellion, and the deployment of a Dutch aircraft carrier in the vicinity during the 1960 crisis over Irian Jaya, Indonesian leaders have struggled to come to terms with the insecurity of its proximate waterways. This sense of maritime vulnerability was more recently demonstrated in Jakarta’s reluctance to countenance excessive foreign involvement in the policing of piracy in its waters despite the operational limitations of the Indonesian coast guard.

Arising from such concerns, Jokowi’s vision also contemplates erecting a defensive firewall in the form of an advanced navy to protect the country’s maritime assets, sea-lanes and territorial waters from both non-traditional security threats and external incursions. But he does not stop there. He goes on to project Indonesia as a maritime power in the region by promising to augment Indonesia’s naval capability. He has proposed the development of an “integrated three-dimensional defense system” under a long-term strategic plan, the details of which are yet to be laid out.

It must be mentioned at the outset that Indonesia, the largest archipelagic state in the world, has naval capabilities weaker than that of the smaller powers of Southeast Asia – Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2005, under the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), the Indonesian government adopted the Minimum Essential Force (MEF) – a twenty-year plan (2005-2024) that sets forth a military modernization agenda, with a special emphasis on the modernization of the Indonesian navy and air force. In the context of naval build up, the MEF goal is to develop by 2020 a five-fleet force totalling 274 ships with striking, patrolling and supporting capabilities. The plan involves weapons procurement, development of an indigenous defense industry and the revamping of defense research facilities. The SBY government made some progress in reviving the Indonesian navy through procurement of warships and submarines, as well as the expansion of the operational base of the navy with the addition of three naval fleets.

Notwithstanding its modest progress, naval modernization has encountered several challenges, such as limited resources, ill-equipped infrastructure and dated defense research facilities. The navy’s strategic thinking remains rooted in a limited vision, a tight budget, and rudimentary upgrades. Though the Indonesian defense budget almost quadrupled from nearly US$2 billion in 2001 (0.5 percent of GDP) to US$8.3 billion (0.9 percent of GDP) in 2013, this figure still constitutes less than one percent of the national GDP. The failure to raise the ceiling on defense spending represents the inertia that has afflicted naval modernization. On average, major and middle powers of Asia have spent more than 2 percent of their GDP on defense every year. Indonesia’s defence budget in 2013 (US$8.37 billion) stood much lower than that of Australia (US$26 billion), China (US$112 billion), India (US$36 billion), Japan (US$51 billion) and South Korea (US$ 31.8 billion).[9]

Despite the expansion in the navy’s operational base, the implementation of the MEF has been slow and somewhat inconsistent. Indonesia’s critical defense factories, such as PT Pindad and Surabaya-based PT PAL, remain underfunded and underequipped, limiting their effective contribution. More than 70 percent of ship components are imported, with very little contribution, apart from labor, coming from the Indonesian shipbuilding industry.[10] At the same time, the government’s incentives to support the indigenous shipbuilding industry have been insufficient.[11] As a result, the idea of indigenous production of high-end technology-driven naval equipment remains a concept, not a practice. In this limiting context, the statement of the previous Indonesian defense minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, that Indonesia will not need to import high-technology based fighter jets and ships by 2022 seems overambitious and unrealistic.

To meet the goals of his plan, Jokowi has laid out a two-fold approach – raising the defense budget to 1.5 percent of GDP in five years, and attracting foreign investment. The allocation of 1.5 percent of GDP to the defense budget, it is hoped, would contribute the much-needed revenue for defense modernization and revival of an indigenous defense industry. Jokowi seems to have already put in motion his plan of attracting foreign investment in the development of the country’s maritime infrastructure and defense industry. During his visit to Japan in August 2014, he was able to secure a commitment from the Japanese government to assist Indonesia in building its maritime infrastructure.[12] He has also indicated that he is going to work towards extracting similar commitments from other major powers that would further strengthen Indonesia’s defense cooperation with key supplier countries, such as the United States, China, South Korea and Russia.

Correcting Archipelagic Indonesia’s Anomalous Threat Perceptions

Indonesia’s maritime security debate, once largely confined to the high gallery of government officials and strategic experts, turned into a nation-wide security discourse with Jokowi’s election manifesto and political speeches. For the first time, maritime security found wide coverage in Indonesia’s electoral debates. Since the debates, there has been a surge in popular discourse related to Indonesia’s vision. Experts and practitioners have offered various interpretations of Jokowi’s newly-floated maritime doctrine, such as “the revival of Indonesia’s archipelagic identity,” “a new hope for national maritime awakening,” and “a call for united Indonesia.”[13]

Jokowi’s maritime emphasis is an important step forward in the gradual dismantling of Indonesia’s somewhat dated security perspectives. First, the idea of maritime security and a strong navy is finding its rightful place. There is a growing understanding that the most important security challenges that the Indonesian archipelago faces are maritime in nature. These maritime challenges cannot be dealt with by the long-standing practice of an army-based territorial defense. There is a sense that Indonesia needs a strong navy as a pre-emptive and preventive strategy to thwart any external incursion and safeguard its long coastline, thousands of islands, strategic choke points, inter-oceanic trading posts and vast Exclusive Economic Zones.

The idea of maritime security as a strategic necessity returned to the forefront of national strategic thinking only after the departure of President Suharto in 1998 and the retreat of the army from the political and policing processes. It was the SBY government (2004-2014) that introduced maritime security into the mainstream national security discourse. Since then various white papers, blueprints, and defense postures with medium and long-term deadlines have been laid out. Nevertheless, Jokowi’s pronouncements contrast with such documents in the level of emphasis placed on maritime security.

While the 182-page Defense White Paper 2008 mentions the word “maritime” 19 times, Jokowi’s mere 40-page election manifesto mentions the words “maritime” 17 times, “ASEAN” seven times and “Indo-Pacific” three times. His presidency can prove to be a critical step in continuing this difficult process of correcting the fundamental anomaly in Indonesia’s grand strategy – an archipelagic state seeking security through a continental army, operating on the basis of a territorial command structure and guerrilla strategy. Indeed, with the transformation of the security situations in Aceh, East Timor, and to some extent Papua, it is timely for Indonesia to reconsider its strategic and defense priorities.

Second, Jokowi’s maritime focus also underscores an emerging political consensus that the country faces serious external security threats and must be ready to deal with them. The growing militarization of the maritime space in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, an escalation of hostility in South China Sea, and China’s claim over Indonesia’s Natuna islands have reinforced Indonesian fears. An alarmed Indonesia has begun to deliberate how to create an adequate maritime defense infrastructure to ensure the security of its islands, maritime resources, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. Indonesia’s then defense minister, Juwono Sudarsono, while highlighting Malaysia’s frequent naval incursions in 2006 and 2007, lamented his country’s “low level of effectiveness in acting against trespassers on land, sea and air territories.”[14]

Echoing similar sentiments, the next defense minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, announced on September 10, 2014 that the government would set up a defense base on the Natuna Island. He stated, “the government should naturally secure the territories that border the South China Sea because the situation in those waters has been tense since several countries such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines and Malaysia claimed the territorial waters as their own.”[15] Indonesia’s official expressions on China’s Natuna claim have remained somewhat ambivalent, both highlighting and skirting the potential of a China-Indonesia stand-off over the Natuna issue. For example, Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia’s previous foreign minister, stated in June 2014 that Indonesia was not party to the South China Sea dispute, implying thereby that its claim over the Natuna islands is absolute and uncontested. A wary Indonesia is gradually acquiring a maritime posture against external threat perceptions.

Reinvigorating Indonesia’s Long-Held Two-Ocean Doctrine

While various policy documents and white papers have laid out the logistics, modus operandi, and a roadmap for Indonesia’s maritime strategy, Jokowi’s pan-Indo-Pacific vision provides a broader geopolitical context in which these doctrines and strategies have to be operationalized. Jokowi’s Indo-Pacific vision reinvigorates Mohammad Hatta’s “between the two continents and two-Ocean worldview.” Jokowi plans to bring the Indian Ocean back into Indonesia’s regional canvas and projects Indonesia as a power straddling thousands of islands between two continents (Asia and Australia) and two Oceans (the Indian and Pacific). A segment of Indonesia’s strategic community has felt constrained by the country’s ASEAN focus and argued that Jakarta should project its regional diplomacy to a bigger constituency. Rizal Sukma, one of Indonesia’s leading strategic experts, maintains that “ASEAN is important but it is not the only one.”[16] The Indo-Pacific vision provides a mental map to steer between ASEAN and a bigger strategic landscape. In other words, Jokowi’s vision, if realized, can enable Indonesia to project itself as a maritime power in the greater Indo-Pacific region.

Jokowi’s Indo-Pacific is more comprehensive than that of former Minister Natalegawa. While presenting his vision of “Pacific-Indo-Pacific” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington in May 2013, Natalegawa followed a pragmatic and more functional definition of the region – “a triangular (space) spanning two oceans, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, bounded by Japan in the north, Australia in the South-east and India in the south-west, notably with Indonesia at its center.”[17] Jokowi, on the other hand, has followed a more comprehensive definition of the Indo-Pacific – an integrated maritime world of the Indian and Pacific Oceanic systems.[18] While Natalegawa concentrates on players and the political aspects of regional diplomacy, Jokowi focuses on geographical components of regional diplomacy. Natalegawa calls for a Pacific-Indo-Pacific, while Jokowi calls for Indonesia as a global maritime axis. Natalegawa refers to India; Jokowi talks about the Indian Ocean.

Jokowi has shown his intent to carry forward SBY’s attempt to plug an important lacunae in Indonesia’s maritime vision – the reappearance of the Indian Ocean on Indonesia’s mental map. While speaking at 2012 Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore, President Yudhoyono declared, “There is every likelihood that in the twenty-first century the Indian Ocean will grow in geostrategic importance. We must make sure that the Indian Ocean does not become an area of new strategic contest and rivalry. Indeed, now is the time to cultivate the seeds for long-term cooperation, based on common interests in that part of the world.”[19] Indonesia shares maritime boundaries of nearly 1300 kilometers (kms) in the Indian Ocean with four countries – Australia, India, Malaysia and Thailand. It has an Exclusive Economic Zone of approximately 1.5 million square kms in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean. As evidenced by SBY’s statement, the Indian Ocean has begun to figure into the regional understanding of Indonesia as a region of growth, a source of vulnerabilities, and as a platform for greater regional and multilateral cooperation.

The Indian Ocean did not receive much attention in the country’s strategic thinking until December 2004 when the country was jolted by the devastating tsunami that originated in the Indian Ocean. Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has incorporated the Indian Ocean Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) as a focus area of its regional multilateral diplomacy. As a founding member, Indonesia envisages to play a pro-active role in IOR-ARC deliberations when it becomes the chair for two years (2015-2017). Currently, Indonesia is the vice-chair of the grouping and will replace Australia in 2015. Indonesia’s Indian Ocean role came into prominence in 2013 when it allowed China to conduct naval exercises, close to Australia’s Christmas Islands, in the eastern part of the Ocean.

The Indian Ocean has figured as one of the five priority agendas of regional cooperation as identified by Jokowi in his election manifesto. It revolves around engendering comprehensive maritime cooperation and playing a pro-active role within the Indian Ocean Rim Association. The inclusion of the Indian Ocean expands Indonesia’s maritime canvas and places the country, once again, at the epicenter of two maritime worlds and as a bridge between them.

The Road Ahead

Jokowi’s ambitious maritime vision faces equally powerful challenges, which are structural and deep-rooted. Modernizing an under-fed, under-equipped and under-resourced navy will require considerable political will and support, a huge amount of financial resources, technical know-how, dedicated modern research facilities, and a robust national debate to support such a mammoth task. His cabinet will be especially critical in this respect. Already, a new cabinet post of coordinating minister for maritime affairs has been created. Key ministries to provide the institutional support to Jokowi’s maritime policy would be foreign affairs, maritime and fisheries, and defense, as well as the post of coordinating minister for maritime affairs. The recent announcement of cabinet positions however, raise doubts as to whether this institutional support will be forthcoming. A competent career diplomat, Retno Lestari, has been appointed foreign minister. Her experience, however, has mostly been in European affairs. Likewise, the new maritime and fisheries minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, is an accomplished businesswoman with a background in the aviation industry. Neither have the specific experience or knowledge required to press the maritime agenda outlined by the president. Both these ministries will also have to work closely on maritime affairs with the defense ministry, now helmed by Ryamizard Ryacudu, the first military figure in 15 years to helm the ministry. A known hardliner whose human rights record has come under heavy criticism, Ryamizard derives his position not from Jokowi’s mandate but from his close association with former president Megawati Sukarnoputri. Independent of Jokowi, Ryamizard is likely to try to carve out a more prominent role for the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI, the armed forces) in foreign policy, which may not necessarily be in synch with the president’s objectives.

The first five years of Jokowi’s presidency will be critical to the formation of the necessary policy framework to expedite his idea of Indonesia as a maritime power. Realizing his vision would require the convergence of several elements: (1) a blue-print that is fleshed out and debated in detail, (2) a good deal of political support inside the legislature, (3) the creation of an efficient local infrastructure for the development and production of technology and equipment, and (4) a positive international image for international investment. Currently, Jokowi does not enjoy a great deal of political support in the legislature, and Indonesia’s technological and production capabilities are limited. On the other hand, there is an abundance of international will to invest in Indonesia.

Some of these challenges could derail the consummation of Jokowi’s vision. For example, it may prove to be a much more difficult task to raise the defense spending from .9 to 1.5 percent of GDP given the fact that he does not have many friends inside the Indonesian parliament. While pursuing his objectives, Jokowi is going to have to negotiate hard to deal with a static mindset that dominates the political and defense establishment. Realizing his dream will definitely put his political and diplomatic skills to the test, at both the domestic and global levels. Indeed, he has made a great start. As the saying goes, well begun is half done.

Implications for the United States

Jokowi’s maritime resolve opens up a big space for the United States to consolidate its defense and security ties with Indonesia that had languished since the mid 1990s. Three areas figure prominently – development of maritime infrastructure, modernization of defense industries and upgrades of indigenous R&D in the defense sector. The U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, signed in 2010, provides for the United States a role in Indonesia’s defense modernization and facilitates Indonesia’s role in the regional and global affairs. The United States signed its biggest ever defense deal in June 2013, agreeing to sell Apache attack helicopters along with the transfer of radar technology worth more than US$500 million to Indonesia. The United States can use this momentum to consolidate both its bilateral strategic partnership and its rebalancing strategy in the largest and most powerful country of Southeast Asia.

Regional responses to Jokowi’s articulation of his maritime policy have been understandably muted. Foremost in the minds of regional leaders are the matters of both Jokowi’s bandwidth for foreign affairs and potential domestic challenges which are expected to preoccupy him in the coming years. Jokowi comes into office with very little foreign affairs experience. Indeed, notwithstanding welcome attempts to enunciate foreign policy positions, Jokowi is likely to be a president more comfortable with tackling domestic issues. This is both understandable and necessary given the magnitude of the domestic agenda, which is compounded by the fact that, at present, Jokowi presides over a minority government.

[1] Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla Vision-Mission and Action Program, (Jakarta, May 2014), http://kpu.go.id/koleksigambar/VISI_MISI_Jokowi-JK.pdf (accessed on August 20, 2014), p. 13

[2] “Jokowi supports Palestinian independence,” Republika Online, June 23, 2014 http://www.republika.co.id/berita/en/national-politics/14/06/23/n7m2m7-jokowi-supports-palestinian-independence (accessed on august 22, 2014)

[3] President-Elect Jokowi Calls for United Indonesia,” Tempo, July 23, 2014, http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/07/23/055595130/President-Elect-Jokowi-Calls-for-United-Indonesia (accessed on August 20, 2014)

[4] “Jokowi’s Inaugural Speech as Nation’s Seventh President,” The Jakarta Globe, Oct 20, 2014, http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jokowis-inaugural-speech-nations-seventh-president/ (accessed on October 22, 2014)

[5] Henry Sandee, “Promoting Regional Development in Indonesia through Better Connectivity,” The World Bank News and Broadcast, http://go.worldbank.org/Z6VE3IDAF0, (accessed on September 24, 2014)

[6] “Archipelago Belt Aims to Connect Nation,” The Jakarta Post, May 30, 2014, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/30/archipelago-belt-aims-connect-nation.html (accessed on August 23, 2014)

[7] A Fitriyanti Pewarta, News Focus – Big Agenda, Maritime Infrastructure Towards Indonesia, APEC Connectivity,” Antara News, April 9, 2013 http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/88298/news-focus–big-agenda-maritime-infrastructure-towards-indonesia-apec-connectivity (accessed on August 22, 2014)

[8] Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, (Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, 2013), p. 40

[9] “Chapter Six: Asia,” The Military Balance, vol. 114, no. 1, 2014, p. 222-286

[10] Amir Tejo, “Imported Components Dominate Shipbuilding Industry,” Tempo English Online, May 14, 2014, http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/05/14/056577719/Imported-Components-Dominate-Shipbuilding-Industry (accessed on September 24, 2014)

[11] Linda Yulisman, “Shipbuilders struggle to meet production targets,” The Jakarta Post, August 14 2013, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/08/14/shipbuilders-struggle-meet-production-targets.html (accessed on September 24, 2014)

[12] Deti Purnamasari, “Jokowi Asks for Japan’s Help on Infrastructure Projects,” The Jakarta Globe, August 12, 2014, http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/jokowi-asks-japans-help-infrastructure-projects/ (accessed on August 22, 2014)

[13] Evan A. Laksmana, “Indonesia’s New President Can Deepen Cooperation with Europe and the United States,” German Marshall Fund Blog, http://blog.gmfus.org/2014/08/15/indonesias-new-president-can-deepen-cooperation-with-europe-and-the-united-states/ (accessed on August 20, 2014); “Jokowi-JK brings new hope for maritime awakening: academician,” Antara News, August 20, 2014, http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/95371/jokowi-jk-brings-new-hope-for-maritime-awakening-academician (accessed on August 23, 2014); President-Elect Jokowi Calls for United Indonesia,” Tempo, July 23, 2014, http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/07/23/055595130/President-Elect-Jokowi-Calls-for-United-Indonesia (accessed on August 20, 2014)

[14] “RI Lacks Deterrence Force: Juwono,” The Jakarta Post, 22 March 2007

[15] “Indonesia to Build Military Base in Natuna,” Tempo English Online, September 10, 2014, http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/09/10/055605767/Indonesia-to-Build-Military-Base-in-Natuna (accessed on September 22, 2014)

[16] Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Low defense budget hampers ability,” The Jakarta Post, Low defense budget hampers ability,” The Jakarta Post, April 03, 2014, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/03/low-defense-budget-hampers-ability.html (accessed on September 24, 2014)

[17] Marty Natalegawa, “An Indonesian perspective on the Indo-Pacific,” The Jakarta Post, May 20, 2013, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/20/an-indonesian-perspective-indo-pacific.html (accessed on September 24, 2014)

[18] Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla Vision-Mission and Action Program, (Jakarta, May 2014), http://kpu.go.id/koleksigambar/VISI_MISI_Jokowi-JK.pdf (accessed on August 20, 2014), p. 13

[19] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, “An Architecture for Durable Peace in the Asia-Pacific,” Shangri La Dialogue Keynote Address, 01 June 2012, http://www.iiss.org/en/events/shangri%20la%20dialogue/archive/sld12-43d9/opening-remarks-and-keynote-address-9e17/keynote-address-7244(accessed on September 20, 2014)

Source

[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 2/8/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Wednesday 8th February 2017. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT) or by purchasing a Mid Week Nation Newspaper (MWN).

NO CHEAP ZR VOTES - The operators of public service vehicles (PSVs) are sending a strong word of warning to the major political parties here that their approximately 7,000 votes will not be given away cheaply come the next general election. President of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO) Morris Lee said the ZR and minibus operators intend to make their votes count in the election, due by next year. However, he said neither the incumbent Democratic Labour Party (DLP), nor the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) should take their Xs for granted. Lee accused both parties of delivering nothing but cheap promises in the past, and warned they both would have to work much harder than they have done before to impress the operators. Among the key demands of the operators are duty-free concessions on spare parts for their vehicles and dedicated lanes to cut travel times. The owners and operators have long contended that while members of Barbados’ horse racing fraternity were granted duty waivers on parts imported for their vehicles, the people whose livelihoods depended on their vehicles received no such privileges. They have also said they felt restricted in the face of rising costs because they were prohibited from charging higher fares, and that clogged roads were making it challenging to get people to their destinations, particularly when there are cruise ships in the port. Added to these challenges, Lee said, were the potholes on their routes, which impact severely on the aging vehicles. He said unlike private drivers who had the luxury of choosing the route least riddled with craters, PSVs operators had no choice but to stick to their respective routes regardless of the road condition. Any of the two major parties that demonstrate a willingness to tackle those issues will get the PSV votes, he suggested. (BT)

BRIDGETOWN DEAD –The current state of Barbados’ capital city, Bridgetown, is the result of years of neglect, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Stephen Lashley has charged. However, speaking in Parliament today, he said the Freundel Stuart administration was prepared to fix the problems. Contributing to debate on a resolution for the vesting of approximately 534.5 square metres of Crown land in Bridgetown for a $14.5 million synagogue restoration project, he said one of the primary objectives was to create a multipurpose heritage attraction in Bridgetown. Lashley said Government was also committed to providing the necessary incentives – including relief from Value Added Tax and import duties – under the Cultural Industries Development Act as “encouragement to potential developers to proceed along the very important task of the refurbishment of cultural buildings and certainly sites of historic significance”. However, Lashley said there was a need for more rapid response from Government once approval was given for the restoration of key cultural projects in Barbados. In her contribution to the debate, Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde spoke of the the need for more attractions in The City. The Opposition MP recalled that Prime Minister Freundel Stuart had once stated that he would like to see another 40,000 visitors come to Barbados. She also acknowledged that Bridgetown and its historic Garrison had achieved the status of a World Heritage Site. However, she pointed to the need for better lighting and properly paved roads in the City, saying “Bridgetown is looking a bit tacky. Forde also complained that even Baxters Road, which was once a lively meeting point for many Barbadians, was today is a veritable ghost town at night. (BT)

TREAT US LIKE JEWS SAYS BRADSHAW - If Opposition Member of Parliament for St Michael South East Santia Bradshaw had her way it would not be ‘one rule for the Jews and another for the Persians’ in terms of access to tax exemptions and duty free concessions under the Cultural Industries and Development Act. Speaking in the House of Assembly this afternoon on a resolution for the vesting of land at Pinfold Street to facilitate restoration of the Jewish synagogue, Bradshaw called for a level playing field, saying even though she supported the measure, she was still not satisfied that there was equal access for all under the legislation. She lamented that many applications for funding were still languishing before the Cultural Industries Development Board, while suggesting that Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler should graciously facilitate the cultural Industries’ entrepreneurs in the same way he was facilitating the Jewish community. However, Bradshaw, an entertainment lawyer, lamented that many of those who represent Barbados on a daily basis were still not able to make an income in the cultural industries. In response, Sinckler said it was simply wrong for the Opposition to suggest that Government had passed this piece of legislation and forgotten “all of these people and are not assisting them”. In fact, he said it was downright untrue. However, he admitted to being overwhelmed with applications for concessions. (BT)

BLACKETT QUESTIONS NEED FOR TOWN HALLS – Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett wants to know why “town hall meetings are needed now for every project. “Were there town hall meetings when they imploded the Hilton Hotel?” he asked in reference to the Opposition Barbados Labour Party. His comments came in the wake of a recent call by former BLP representative for The City, Dame Billie Miller for the Freundel Stuart administration to proceed with extreme caution on the proposed Hyatt hotel. While suggesting that the recent problem of raw sewage spilling over into the streets along the south coast and in certain parts of Bridgetown, could only worsen with the construction of the proposed 250-room luxury hotel, Dame Billie called for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment to be done. She also called for the matter to be put before the public in the form of town hall meetings, even though the Prime Minister who is the minister responsible for town planning has suggested that the matter is already a fait accompli, with construction expected to begin sometime during the first half of this year. Without making any specific reference to these concerns, Blackett said: “What pause are they talking about, we are an action Government” while blaming the Opposition for the poor state of the Empire Theatre, which has been out of use for the past 24 years. Blackett complained that during that period the BLP never attempted to carry out any repairs on the structure. However, he said his Government had gone as far as to seek assistance from the Chinese Government, which it eventually turned down, because of lack of agreement on the specifics.  (BT)

HOTEL PROJECT IN ENTERPRISE UNDER ATTACK – A number of property owners at Enterprise, Christ Church are pushing for a halt to the construction of a four-storey apartment hotel being erected in their residential district. The Barbados High Court has already issued an order to the developers –– Accra Beach Limited –– restraining it from carrying out building operations and/or construction works at the site on Enterprise Beach Road during specified hours until judgment or further notice. The ruling, dated December 20, 2016 was handed down by Justice William Chandler, following legal action taken by Little Arches Hotel Inc and other property owners Hamilton Henderson and Patrick Frost. The court has directed Accra Beach Hotel Limited, Seale Construction & Equipment Rentals Inc, Suresh Monickorja and Basil Seale not to carry work any time before 8:30 a.m. or after 5 p.m. on Sundays or bank holidays. The developers are also restrained from working on Saturdays before 8:30 a.m. or after 2 p.m. However, they are permitted to work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on one Saturday a month up to June 2017, providing they give the claimants eight days’ notice. Frost was upset that developer Kenneth Charles, who owns Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, had proceeded with the project in a place “that was not right” for such a major undertaking. Chief Town Planner Mark Cummins refused to comment on the issue. However, Frost charged that the Town Planning Department was being inconsistent when it approved the application for the 40-plus room hotel. Frost, who does not live in the area but rents his property, also said there were serious implications for property owners in Barbados, arising from what the developer was actually constructing. Meantime, the owners of the residential-type property Little Arches Hotel said they had been adversely impacted by the construction work. The hotel, which is marketed as a quiet get away, has already suffered an undisclosed number of cancellations due to the work, they said. (BT)

AIRBNB FLYING HIGH IN BARBADOS – A growing number of Barbadians are offering their homes to visitors as short-term lodging through the online marketplace, Airbnb. An official of the global accommodation facilitator today said some 1,100 Barbadian homeowners had listed their properties on Airbnb’s website, where people list their homes or apartments for easy online booking. Public policy head in Latin America and the Caribbean Shawn Sullivan said the company was responsible for attracting 16,000 visitors to Barbados last year, which equates to two per cent of all arrivals. He added that homestay programmes could be financially rewarding for Barbadians, with the typical host earning US$3,900 a year through their Airbnb’s platform. A common complaint from hoteliers as the sharing economy becomes increasingly popular among travellers, is that homestay programmes are eating into their income. However, Sullivan denied claims that Airbnb was undermining the traditional accommodation sector. With over two million listings in 191 countries, Airbnb is the largest online facilitator of short-term lodging. (BT)

LIAT CUTS FIRST TWO ROUTES –The struggling regional airline LIAT has announced the first two routes that it will cut “as part of its efforts to achieve greater profitability and improve efficiency”. In a release issued today, the airline said it would stop servicing the United States Virgin Islands beginning March 1, when it ends flights to St Croix. Service to St Thomas will end on June 14, it said. In addition, LIAT said it would suspend its flight between Guadeloupe and Dominica, and would introduce instead a return service between Antigua and the French-speaking island. Following a meeting here of the shareholder governments last October, St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves had announced that the airline would stop serving countries that hurt its bottom line. Having recorded a net profit of EC$5 million (Bds$3.7 million) up to August 2016, a dramatic EC$14 million (Bds$10.5 million) reversal was expected in the final four months, leaving LIAT with an EC$9.2 million (Bds$6.8 million) loss for the year. Gonsalves, the chairman of the shareholder governments, had said at the time that the airline would be cutting some “non-performing and non-profitable” routes and that a “a critical review of the schedule has to be fine-tuned. Clearly LIAT needs to do fewer routes, but do what we are doing much better”. The airline today suggested that the review had been completed and it was ready to weed out the bad routes. (BT)

MARITIME SECTOR ENERGISING ECONOMY – The contribution of Barbados’ maritime industry cannot be overlooked. This was the assessment of permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Donna Cadogan, following a year that saw almost one million tonnes of domestic cargo pass through the Barbados Port. Addressing participants at the opening of a regional workshop for senior maritime administrators, Cadogan said data showed that the maritime industry played a significant role in the economy. “Although its contribution is sometimes overlooked, the maritime industry plays a pivotal role in the sustainability of the global economy by efficiently transporting the goods and products we require for dailyliving,” she said at the Hilton Barbados Resort yesterday. (MWN)

NEW MASSY STORES SUNSET CREST COMING – Massy stores has unveiled its plans for the new state-of-the-art supermarket at Sunset Crest in St James, which is scheduled to be opened in November 2017. The transformation, which has already commenced with the demolition of the once West Coast Mall, will be an extensive renovation of the entire property including the existing Massy Stores. However, this project will be constructed in phases over the next ten months. During this time, the current Sunset Crest supermarket will remain open for business until further notice to serve its valued customers and to maintain employment for its 143 dedicated staff. When completed, the full service store will have 30 000 square feet of retail space and will be among the best in its class of grocery establishments, with a number of instore innovations and supporting amenities. Its beautiful exterior will complement the many newer and modern facades on the West Coast. It will be further enhanced by its lush landscaped design including a tree-lined zone on the eastern fringe, a green belt on the western border as well as mature trees and palms adorning the carpark to augment the aesthetics of the site.  In addition, there will be ample parking facilities with increased carpark spaces to improve the overall shopping experience. (MWN)

ELECTRONIC SINGLE WINDOW REGISTRATION STARTS –Members of the public who will be conducting import and export transactions using the Barbados Electronic Single Window (BESW) are reminded that registration on the system has commenced. To register, persons should immediately log on to https://esw.gov.bb. Coordinator of the Barbados Competitiveness Programme Terry Bascombe said the BESW is for any person or business in Barbados involved in the import or export of goods, including handling and transportation. He explained that this would include importers, exporters, brokers, transporters, de-consolidators and vessel operators. The BESW will make trade-related business transactions with Government more effective and efficient by providing a single, online point of contact between the trading community and government agencies to electronically obtain the required licences, permits, certificates or other documents to import or export products. According to Bascombe, the facility should ultimately eliminate the need for parties to manually handle an average of 36 000 such documents on an annual basis. (MWN)

PRIVATE HAULERS SATISFIED WITH JOB –Private waste haulers are very satisfied with the service they have provided to households over the past five months. And they are ready to assist any time Government calls, said operators of the private companies yesterday, after the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) asked that their contracts not be renewed by the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) when the current six-month arrangement ends on March 31. The NUPW yesterday urged Government to allow the SSA to restart normal garbage collection, claiming the state agency was in a position to carry out its duties without assistance from the private haulers. Trevor Manning, managing director of Garbage Master, acknowledged that the future of private haulers being used by Government was out of his hands, but was extremely satisfied with his company’s performance since last October. (BT)

NUPW: STOP PRIVATE WASTE HAULERS – Throw it out! The country’s largest public sector trade union is asking Government not to continue its current relationship with private waste haulers, who were introduced last year when the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) did not have enough trucks to facilitate the pickup of household and commercial garbage across the island. The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) believes the SSA now has enough resources to resume full-time collection of garbage. “The National Union of Public Workers is advising Government not to extend the contract of private haulers with the Sanitation Service Authority,” the NUPW said in a statement. The contract is due to end on March 31. (MWN)

IT’S SABOUTAGE - History teacher Reverend Charles Morris may not agree, but Minister of Education Ronald Jones is insisting that sabotage has definitely been at play, amid the bothersome environmental woes ––including a nasty odour –– that have been pervasive at Combermere School for over two years now. Delivering a detailed report on investigations and work carried out at the Government-run learning institution since March last year, Jones informed Parliament Tuesday morning that to date $707,000 of the $850,000 allocated had already been spent on effecting cleaning and repairs, including to the school’s sewerage system, and on the purchase of new equipment. The minister also said the situation was still under active evaluation, while warning that there may be need for further spending by Government in the next financial year to allow for refuse collection in different areas, provision of a larger septic tank to serve the female students’ toilets; further drainage improvements around the building and an improved configuration and ventilation of the school’s cafeteria. Taking part in the day’s debate, Jones also reiterated claims that the school had fallen victim to sabotage, even though there was still no indication given by him that anyone had been caught, or was likely to face official reprimand over the serious allegation. However, he said the attention of his ministry and its partners had been drawn to what appeared to be “a deliberate attempt to sabotage the work that has been taking place over the last several months”, explaining that “on Thursday, January 5, 2017, antennas and children book leaves were found to be blocking a drainage pipe from a toilet in the area where some complaints have been originated”. The school, which has a roll of 1,130 students, 61 teaching staff and 13 non-teaching staff and 13 auxiliary staff, had been plagued with a range of environmental issues from May 2014 to December 2016. Tuesday, Jones also pointed to a build up of refuse, odours, indiscriminate use of pesticides and or grease traps by neighbours as probable causes. While commending those involved in the investigations and clean up efforts, Jones said the matter had brought to the fore the need to adequately maintain aging facilities, adding that he was confident that “with the continued preparation of all concerned” there would be no further “compromising of operations of the school”. (BT)

OLD SCHOLAR: CALL IN COPS – A Member of the Combermere School Old Scholars Association (CSOSA) wants police called in to investigate allegations of suspected sabotage at the Waterford, St Michael school. Alex McDonald’s suggestion has come following allegations by Minister of Education Ronald Jones that deliberate acts of sabotage were behind the problems at the school.  While delivering a ministerial statement in Cabinet yesterday, Jones revealed that three recent incidents in the space of one week had raised suspicion that someone was trying to sabotage the work that had taken place over the past few months. However, McDonald – a member of the Save Our School Movement – told the MIDWEEK NATION that since Jones believed there was sufficient evidence to justify his suspicions, the relevant authorities needed to be called. (MWN)

LAW ALLOWS HUSBANDS TO PREVENT WIVES’ ABORTIONS IN ARKANSAS - A new Arkansas law will let a husband sue a doctor to stop his wife from getting an abortion. And it makes no exception for cases of spousal rape. The law, called the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act, was passed and signed by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and goes into effect later this year. It prohibits dismemberment abortion, the most common procedure used in second-trimester abortions. A clause in the law states that the husband of a woman getting the abortion can sue the doctor to stop his wife’s abortion. The husband has to be the father of the child. And because there’s no exemption in the law for rape or incest, a woman’s rapist could theoretically file suit to stop the abortion. The ACLU of Arkansas claims the law is unconstitutional and plans to challenge it in court before it goes into effect. One Arkansas lawmaker said there wasn’t much debate about those parts of the law. But another lawmaker believes husbands should have a voice in these decisions. “I think a woman does have control over her own body, but when you have created a life, you created a life with someone else,” said state Senator Missy Irvin. Kansas and Oklahoma passed similar abortion laws which are tied up in the courts, according to CNN affiliate KFSM. A few states, with conservative lawmakers emboldened by Donald Trump’s election, have passed strict new abortion laws, including Ohio, which passed a measure banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. (BT)

GRENADIANS LAWSUIT AGAINS RBPF TO BE FILED SOON - The members of a Grenadian family who alleged that they had been subjected to degrading and humiliating treatment by the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) last October are carrying out their threat to sue the force. Attorney-at-law for the Gilbert family Ruggles Ferguson said the final details of the lawsuit were being worked out and it would be filed at an undisclosed date. Ferguson would not give details, insisting more information would be revealed in due course. However, he told Barbados TODAY via telephone Tuesday morning that he did not intend to back down until there was a satisfactory resolution. Sisters Tamika and Lynell Gilbert, along with their mother, father and a cousin, said they were stripped of their dignity by the police after they were falsely accused by a store owner in Bridgetown of stealing a mobile phone. They were here to renew their American visas and, having got through early, they had decided to visit the capital for some shopping and to enjoy each other’s company, Tamika had said. The RBPF has since launched an investigation into the matter, which generated extensive media debate in Grenada, and which prompted the Grenadian prime minister Dr Keith Mitchell to issue a veiled warning to the Freundel Stuart administration that it may need to seriously rein in its law enforcement officers. When contacted this morning RBPF Public Relations Officer Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler told Barbados TODAY “the investigation is not yet concluded”. (BT)

$18,000 TO GET BODIES HOME –It’s likely to cost an estimated $18 000 in storage and shipping costs for the bodies of the three Vincentian teenagers who lost their lives in a car crash at Graeme Hall, Christ Church last week. And while the final figure is still to be confirmed, the bodies of 17-year-old Danee Horne, 18-year-old Carianne Padmore and 19-year-old Aziza Dennie (below) could be in for a longer stay in Barbados to allow the necessary documentation to be processed.  A funeral director said each body could cost between $5 000 to $6 000 depending on things such as length of refrigeration and whether or not it was shipped in a casket. Included in that price is the $600 to $800 price tag for the shipment of each body to St Vincent via a ferry. (MWN)

COURT APPEAL – Court authorities are appealing to Nicole and Aliyah Belgrave, last known address Apartment 1, Halls Road, St Michael to urgently visit the Juvenile Court, Roebuck Street, St Michael , or call telephone number 434 9970 ext 4532, or the Courts Prosecutors Officer at 430 7179 or 430 7180. (BT)

BLACKMAN GETS BAIL FOR ASSAULT CHARGE – A 44-year-old man was granted bail Tuesday afternoon after appearing before a Bridgetown Court on an assault charge.

Don Alvin Blackman of Field’s Gap, Greenfield, St Michael is accused of unlawfully assaulting Corey Knight on July 12 last year. He told Magistrate Douglas Frederick he was not guilty of the charge. Police prosecutor Sergeant Martin Rock objected to bail for the accused based on his antecedents, the need to protect society and the fact that Blackman was already out on bail for another offence. However, the prosecutor’s application was denied after Blackman put forward his own arguments. He was released on $4 000 bail after the magistrate accepted his surety. As a condition of his bail release, Blackman must report to Central Police Station every Wednesday before 10 a.m., with valid identification. He returns to the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on June 9. (BT)

WITNESS DOUBT OVER FATAL SHOT – An investigator told the court yesterday he could not say who fatally shot Anderson Ashby but admitted he was instructed to charge Damien Lecoursey Reviera with the offence. The evidence came as Station Sergeant Vernon Moore took the stand in the No.5 Supreme Court where the murder trial of Reviera continued. Moore was attached to the Major Crime Unit when he started investigations into the matter on July 5, 2011.He read into evidence a statement from Reviera which he said he signed along with Reviera and Constable Merville Sealy.In the statement, Reviera is reported as saying that he was in Hollywood liming when “Potty” told him that he had a gun to sell and invited the accused to tag along.  (WWN)

HE WAS A GOOD SON -The mother of the late Anderson Ashby says while her child was “not perfect” he was a “good son”. Margo Ashby’s declaration came Tuesday as the trial of Damien Lecoursey Reveira, 27, alias Poopman, who is accused of killing 31-year-old Ashby, continued in the No. 5 Supreme Court. Ashby lost his life on October 9, 2010, after an alleged gun deal turned deadly at the play park in Belfield, Black Rock, St Michael. “He was a good son. He was a son I could talk to. He was not perfect, but anything that I ask him to do he would do,” said the mother who revealed that she last saw her son alive around 6 p.m. on October 8. She explained that she had not been feeling well that day and went to take a nap. However, when she woke up sometime later she heard the girlfriend of her other son, Christopher, crying. She was eventually informed about what had happened but she still wanted verification. Under cross-examination by defence attorney Pilgrim, Sergeant Moore said he knew that three other men had been charged with Ashby’s murder. He also testified that he knew Reveira had admitted that a shot had been discharged during a struggle with the man at whom he had pointed a gun. However, the officer said he did not know whether anyone had been injured, neither did he interview the man Reveira claimed he struggled with. Sergeant Moore’s partner, Constable Merville Sealy, also took to the stand as well as Dave Gooding, a medical emergency technician attached to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who responded to the scene, and former police officer Euline Robinson. The trial continues Wednesday when Principal Crown Counsel Elwood Watts is expected to call his final witness, Christopher Ashby, the deceased’s brother, to give evidence. (BT)

MASCOLL APOLOGIZES AND AWAITS SENTENCE –If a Christ Church man could live his life all over again, he says he would do things differently. Shurland Andre Mascoll of Packers Valley, St Patricks expressed that sentiment Tuesday as he apologized to society for his crimes. On the first count, the 35-year-old who is already serving an eight-year sentence which ends in 2021 for firearm and ammunition possession, pleaded guilty back in September 2015 to aggravated burglary, which was committed at the Transport Board Depot at Mangrove, St Philip. “[I apologize] to those I have caused great grief. I have been incarcerated for four years and eight months and during that time I have reflected on certain mistakes. I can’t repay those persons I have done wrong to,” Mascoll said. Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney told the court although Mascoll was only the driver when the heist at the depot occurred, he had an active role in the planning. The prosecutor charged that Mascoll knew a firearm was involved, which showed “a pattern for criminal activity and not a one-off or spontaneous event”. Delaney also drew to the attention of Madam Justice Jacqueline Cornelius, Mascoll’s 19 prior convictions. Thirteen of those, she said, were for burglary and another for dishonestly receiving stolen goods. In his mitigation, Mascoll again apologized and asked for forgiveness. Justice Cornelius then adjourned the matter until Wednesday when an officer from HMP Dodds is expected to inform the court of Mascoll’s time spent on remand, in preparation for sentencing. (BT)

WORRELL HITS BACK AT FORDE – Former president of the Barbados Natural Bodybuilding Association, Ivor Worrell, is contending that the sport of bodybuilding has diminished considerably during the tenure of standing president Dr Andrew Forde.  “I have been around bodybuilding since 1978, and can speak with some authority on the sport,” he said in response to a recently published article in which Forde said he would be stepping down as president of the Barbados Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation. “Leading up into the 80s and 90s, the primary objective was to look at how best to advance the sport, how best the bodybuilders could take part; [the executive] looked at the achievements of the sport and bodybuilders were first.  “Over the years we have seen where persons have come to the federation with their own personal agendas and the discipline and bodybuilders ended up being second; going on tours took priority and in some cases bodybuilders were used by those in authority to advance the cause,” he charged. (MWN)

FEB 22 D-DAY FOR CYCLING – Cycling will choose a president and an executive in two weeks. That’s because February 22 has been set as the date for the long overdue annual general meeting of the Barbados Cycling Union (BCU). The date was a court order by consent as both parties agreed that the time had come to have an executive in place after ten months of being in limbo. Cycling has been at a standstill since the planned annual general meeting on April 27 was adjourned after much contention. Attorney at law Larry Smith, who is representing people “interested in the affairs of the cycling”, told MIDWEEK SPORT that his clients were elated that a new date had finally been set. (MWN)

TURTON HEADING TAEKWONDO ASSOCIATION – Henderson Turton has been elected president of the Taekwondo Association of Barbados (TAB), and will be leading a fresh administration over the next four years. Turton defeated Anthony Williams, immediate past president, during an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on January 27 to become the ninth elected head of the organisation since its establishment in 1986. Also on his agenda will be fully engaging TAB’s stakeholders and addressing the needs and interests of the country’s clubs, coaches and athletes. This, he said, would be of paramount importance. Enhanced training for continuity and succession in all areas of development is critical for the organisation to survive another thirty-plus years and the president indicated his commitment to this.  (MWN)

SIR DUGGLY DIGGES IN LINE UP OF 17 FOR GOLD UP – SIR DUGGLEY DIGGES, an upset winner of the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown last year, spearheads the list of six overseas nominees for this year’s Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup. When the second stage subscription closed at the Barbados Turf Club’s office last Friday, 17 horses were in the running for a spot in the Caribbean’s most prestigious horse race on March 4 at the Garrison Savannah. Kenneth and Sara Ramsey, who won back-to-back Gold Cups with Major Marvel and Sayler’s Creek, have four of the overseas nominees in the Queen’s Plate winner, four-year-old colt Sir Duggley Digges, Keystoneforvictory, Coalport and High Noon Rider. Trinidad and Tobago will be keeping faith with Conquest Bespoke and Trini Navigator. (MWN)

ELIZABETH CROWNED AGAIN –Elizabeth (purple) house established five records while retaining the title at The St Michael School’s inter-house championships at the National Stadium yesterday. Maintaining the lead they established before lunchtime, Purple finished the day strong, winning by a 163-point margin. They amassed 950.5 points, followed by Anne (Yellow) with 787.5, Boadicea (Blue) 759 and Victoria (Red) 686. Among the new marks set, was victor ludorum Nathan Roett’s leap of 5.72 metres, which erased a 14-year-old record in the Under-15 Boys’ long jump. (MWN)

MAROONED - ICC Americas ended their losing streak in style when they stunned Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners by 78 runs today, to grab their first win of the Regional Super50 Tournament. Choosing to bat first at the Windward Cricket Club, Lucas Street, St Philip, ICC Americas rallied to 265 all out off their 50 overs, on the backs of half-centuries from captain Nitish Kumar (80), all-rounder Timroy Allen (69) and opener Kamau Leverock (55). (BT)

BLACK IS BLACK – Barbadians of ANY shade of black who refuse to acknowledge their African heritage need their heads checked. That was the blunt assessment of historian Trevor Marshall, who was the main speaker at the Black History Month African awareness presentation yesterday at Sharon Primary School, St Thomas. Marshall, who is no stranger to controversy, told the media: “When all Chinese in the world can establish that they come from Mongolia, all Indians can establish that they came from Bangalore or Deli, all the Europeans can establish that they come from Norway, Berlin or England. The Latinos can say they come from Latin America and in spite of scientific evidence, black people cannot establish that they come from Africa, something is wrong with them.  (MWN)

Well that’s all for today folks. There are 327 days left in the year.             Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase