Black Immigrant Daily News

The former leader of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is recommending that fixed-term elections be enshrined in the new Constitution of Barbados.

Verla De Peiza, made the proposal at the Constitutional Reform Commission public meeting on Sunday, October 30. De Peiza led the DLP from 2018 until her resignation in January this year.

Speaking to the Commission at the Alexandra School, De Peiza held that the Constitution should firmly address elections in Barbados. She stressed that fixed-term elections should be implemented so that the announcement of election day will not be to “the whim and fancy” of the governing political party.

“I think we have reached a stage where we need to be speaking firmly about how we manage our elections and one of the ways the constitution can address that, outside of legislation, is to have fixed term elections.”

“It is not a new concept but one which we need to take seriously so we do not have again…the whim and fancy entering into something as serious as our political determinations.

” If it were that we knew when elections are then we would know what we are working towards. I think one of the fallouts of having a knee jerk reaction is that only that one person [the Prime Minister]…knows when the election day will be, for the rest of us it is sprung upon us,” maintained De Peiza.

She added that this arbitrary system contributed to the decline in voter turnout earlier this year. In the January 2022 elections, less than 45 per cent of registered votes went to the polls.

“One of the fallouts for a system like that is exactly what we saw in January this year, where we took note for the first time but really it is has been a phenomenon for the last four and five elections, and that is a declining presence of voters participating in the elections because there was an arbitrariness to it.”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 01, 2022 (SKNIS): Government is pushing forward with its agenda to improve the conditions for differently-abled persons in St. Kitts and Nevis. On Tuesday (November 01, 2022), Junior Minister with responsibility for Disability, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, met with members of the St. Kitts and Nevis Association of Persons with Disabilities (SKNAPD) and others for a frank and interactive discussion.

The session was held at the McKnight Community Centre and featured presentations from the President and Vice President of the SKNAPD as well as the President of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind. Members of both bodies attended, as well as parents/guardians of persons with a disability.

SKNAPD President Joseph Bergan said that meaningful engagements such as the meeting today are greatly valued as they allow for an honest discussion and an exchange of ideas.

“We are fighting for equal opportunity,” Mr. Bergan stated, noting that the ultimate aim is to have differently-abled persons being self-sufficient and leading independent lives.

During her presentation, Junior Minister Phillip explained that the Government is specifically focused on uplifting vulnerable segments in society including at-risk youth, senior citizens and the differently-abled.

“We recognize the need to pay more attention to and to put more investment into supporting our persons with disabilities/differently-abled. And so, as a new minister, we are trying to build out what this new department, this unit, is going to offer and what we are going to do,” she stated.

“And of course, to be able to figure out what it is we are going to do we have to have conversations with all of you since you are the people we are going to serve,” the Junior Minister added.

Subject areas covered during the discussion included finding a permanent home for the Association; updating legislation to include mandates in the United Nations Convention on Persons with Disabilities; protecting designated parking spaces for the differently-abled and adjusting other traffic regulations; housing; reducing the stigma towards disability, increasing employment opportunities, and more. After the meeting, members of the association thanked the Junior Minister and expressed optimism for greater action in addressing the concerns of the differently-abled.

The Junior Minister was supported by Janelle Lewis-Tafari, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, November 2, 2022: Four Bills will be read at the Sitting of National  Assembly which takes place on Friday 4th November at 10:00am at Government Headquarters.  

The four bills to be read are the Companies (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Evangelistic Faith Church  Incorporation Bill 2022, the Small Business Development (Amendment) Bill 2022, and the Domestic  Violence (Amendment) Bill 2022.  

The Companies (Amendment) Bill resolves a constitutional issue created by the 2021 Amendment  which allowed for the permanent dissolution of exempt companies to comply with Organisation for  Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) recommendations. The  Bill seeks to allow creditors, directors, shareholders and other interested persons to apply to the  High Court to deal with any assets previously held by the struck exempt companies. The Bill  therefore seeks to bring the Act into compliance with the Constitution, so that assets are not vested  in the State without alternative options available to the beneficial owners of those assets. 

The Evangelistic Faith Church St Kitts (Incorporation) Bill seeks to give the Evangelistic Faith Church  situated at the Alley, Sandy Point, St Kitts, the power to own land and otherwise have legal standing.  

The aim of the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill is to make urgent changes to protect victims of  domestic violence and provide them with swift access to justice. The Bill allows victims of domestic  violence, or persons on their behalf, to apply to the Magistrate’s Court or the High Court for  protection orders. This will rectify issues raised with the Ministry of Gender Affairs that the cost of  obtaining protection orders only in the High Court was prohibitive for many victims and their  families. The Bill also expands the definition of economic abuse to cover situations where  perpetrators have full access and control over victim’s financial resources and gives the Director of  Gender Affairs powers under the Act, rather than the Director of Social/Family Services, as  previously legislated. The approval of this Bill aligns with the Cabinet’s promise to take steps to  curtail the increased scourge of domestic violence in our society.  

The Cabinet Small Business (Amendment) Bill seeks to change the Minister with responsibility for  administering the Small Business Act and appointing the Small Business Development Advisory Committee to the Minister with specific responsibility for Small Business. Previously, the Minister  responsible was the Minister of Industry & Commerce. The definition of small business will also be  amended to include businesses in which not more than 30 persons are employed. Previously, the  number of employees was limited at 25. This decision aligns with the Government’s fundamental  goal to provide small businesses with the necessary governmental support to grow, thrive and  employ more people.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Three days after he disappeared whilst swimming at the Orinduik Falls in the North Pakaraimas, a search and recovery team has found the body of missing NYPD officer, 43-year-old Gladstone Haynes.

Haynes drowned at around 15:00h on Sunday whilst he and other tourists were at the popular destination in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Police said that Haynes and the mother of his children along with other tourists boarded a plane from the Eugene F. Correia International Airport to do a tour of Kaieteur Falls and Orinduik Falls.

“Enquiries disclosed that [Haynes] was swimming below the Orinduik Falls in the water, which was high and streaming heavily at the time. He reportedly went under the surface of the water and disappeared,” police revealed.

After searching for three days, the man’s body was discovered this morning.

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