Black Immigrant Daily News

Jamaica will welcome non-stop flights from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, beginning Monday, November 14.

The flights, being offered by the Dominican Republic’s new flagship airline, Arajet, will be available twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays, with round-trip fares as low as US$252.

Speaking at a press briefing on November 11, at the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board in Kingston, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said that the connectivity by air between the two countries is more than a game changer.

“For us, this is not just a game changer, this is a Red Letter Day in the life of tourism aviation in the northern Caribbean, because we in the north are close to each other physically [and] geographically, but we are distant from each other [in regard to] connectivity,” said Bartlett.

Prior to direct flights being available, travel time from one country to the other would go up to as many as 20 hours.

Bartlett further explained that the decision to enable improved connectivity between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic “is part of a broader and wider strategy of integrating the Caribbean more, and of also creating backwards connections between Central America and South America”.

He also pointed out that air connectivity and the movement of people will be supported by investments.

“One of the real positives that will flow from this engagement is that it will bring to the respective destinations that energy for investment because there will be ease of access… but the key realisation is that within two hours you can be looking at your asset, making decisions not virtually but face to face and surveying the extent of your own investments and assets in the areas,” the minister emphasised.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Jamaica, Angie Martinez Tejera, also hailed the ability that both countries now have to connect by air, as a “game changer”.

“This development is an important diplomatic achievement, and will strengthen investments, commerce [and] tourism, but most important, in getting our people closer together,” she said.

Martinez Tejera thanked the team at Arajet Airline for making the connection a reality, noting that it has been a priority for her since being appointed.

For his part, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Ararjet, Victor Pacheco M?ndez, who joined virtually, said that the airline aims to “bridge the lack of connectivity and the lack of low fares in the region”.

He said that Arajet’s decision to offer direct flights to Jamaica forms part of the plan to launch 54 routes from Santo Domingo.

The CEO noted that Arajet has been in operation for one year and began serving 16 of its targeted destinations within the first 40 days of its operation.

JIS News

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Police have arrested and charged a man said to be a taxi operator after he reportedly held up and robbed a woman of $500 in cash, along with her phone.

The police said the man identified as 32-year-old Ramond Robinson, is a transport operator of Wint Road, Mandeville in Manchester was charged with robbery with aggravation on Saturday, November 12.

The reported robbery incident took place on Old Hope Road, St Andrew on Monday, October 31.

Reports from the Half Way Tree police are that at about 6:45 pm, a woman boarded a taxi near Papine, St. Andrew. Three men, including the driver, were reportedly in the Toyota Probox motor car.

Whilst traveling along Old Hope Road, one of the men brandished a firearm, held up the woman, and robbed her of $500. The men also took her iPhone.

The woman escaped without injury. She reported the incident to the police and Robinson was taken into custody later that same night. He was charged on Saturday, November 12 after being pointed out on an identification parade.

His court date is being finalised.

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Dear Editor,

It is quite evident that election is around the corner. Billboards are being erected and  political talk shows are now blasting on the radios.

Obviously, it’s a sign that the political parties are swinging into high gear to get their messages out to the electorates.

According to my observation, it seems to me that for this election, many of us are focusing more on the messengers’ demeanor, rather than the messages that are disseminating from them.

Of course, let’s us zoom into the two dominant messengers, Gaston Browne and Harold Lovell.

Gaston, seems not to be liked by many. His personal demeanour is perceived to be a bit unpolished. However, behind that trait  and in spite of the uncontrollable challenges that have impacted upon the country, he and his administration is still getting the job done of moving the economy forward.

Undoubtedly, people’s livelihood have been empowered throughout his tenure.

Harold, on the other hand  seems not to be findng the right formula. Many persons have not forgotten the dark days that the country was plunged into during his tenure as Finance minister. Many fear that those dark days will return with him at the helm . Additionally, persons are not yet convince that he has found a solution to take the country to the next level.

As UPP’s leader, the composition of his team that he is proposing to run the affairs of the country, speaks negative of him. The team  is politically inexperienced and intellectually impaired.

To add salt to the wound, it is percieved that the other members within the UPP,   function on a platform of disrespect, hate, bitterness, vile and anger.

For me, it is frightening because it looks as though, for revenge these persons are trying to gain political power by any means necessary. PLM, UNDP, MOVEMENTS, FAITHFUL NATIONALS, & POWA all operated on the same platform. However, they all failed miserably.

So then, why should UPP be seen as any different?  If “Raising our standard & raising it bodly is our national tagline ” then questions are asked

1. Why should UPP be voted into office, since  they don’t respect the Prime Minister?

2. Why should UPP be voted into office, since they show no respect to the female politicians in the current administration?

3. Why should UPP be voted into office when  POWA, a female arm of UPP, keep silent whenever females in ABLP are  verbally abused?

4. Why should UPP be voted into office since they align themselves with a  NIGHT OWL who spews venom & hate and behave out of character on the radio station?

5. Why should UPP be voted into office when one of their former parliamentarian showed no reverence in parliament by sticking up their middle finger to advocate profanity?

6. Why should UPP be voted into office when one of their hierarchy was under a halucination for a gun licence to go around & kill?

7. Why should UPP be voted into office when a former leader in the organization gave  instructions  to chop up tax collectors?

8. Why should UPP be voted into office since one of their members used derogative terms  against our Caricom brothers & sisters referring to them as thieves & paupers?

9. Why should UPP be voted into office when one of their female politician referred to the nation’s elderly as rag tags?

10. Why should UPP be voted into office when UPP candidates act as dictators at radio stations causing  two brilliant youths to resign?

11. Why should UPP be voted into office sincemany of their own stalwarts turn their backs against them?

12. Why should UPP be voted into office when one of their prominent lawyer was ordered by the courts to be relieve of his position because he was deemed too abrasive?

13. Why should UPP be voted into office when it is alledge that a senior citizen is not paid his rent by a UPP candidate?

14. Why should UPP be voted into office when a young innocent girl who was pregnant was shot and killed by a UPP candidate?

15. Why should UPP be voted into office when  the country collapsed under Lovell as Finance minister?

Hell no! We can’t accept UPP again!

Fitzroy

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Former Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira, right, speaks to the media after filing her nomination for the leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM) at the PNM Central Office in Enterprise, Chaguanas, on October 10. File photo/Ayanna Kinsale

THE PEOPLE’s National Movement (PNM) internal elections have reached the High Court, with two candidates –one of whom is contesting the leadership position – asking for the poll to be postponed for 21 days if the court grants orders declaring several decisions unconstitutional.

The “breach of contract” claim was filed for former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Dr Kenneth Butcher and Bishop Victor Phillip.

Nunez-Tesheira and Phillip are contesting the posts of political leader and chairman on the Team Karen slate. Butcher is a member of the PNM and a former MP.

Foster Cummings is named as the defendant in his capacity as general secretary and a representative of all members of the PNM, except the three.

The three have complained about ten issues which are listed as breaches, the main one being the decision to change the election day to election days. This, they contend, is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Peter Taylor and Egon Embrack.

The PNM internal election is scheduled for December 4. However, November 26 and 27 are also voting days, which, the lawsuit, said was decided on by the party’s central executive and ratified by the general council on August 10.

However, the claim says this decision was equivalent to an amendment of the PNM’s Constitution, which the party’s central executive does not have the power to make.

“The central executive is therefore subservient to the general council and cannot arrogate unto itself powers which the general council itself does not possess.”

“The decision to change the election from the time-honoured ‘election day’ to span a nine-day period is a fraught exercise more so since no justifiable reasons have been proffered to the membership for such a change which is without precedent anywhere in the Commonwealth or in jurisdictions throughout the world that observe and adhere to democratic conventions and practices and to the observance of the rule of law,” the lawsuit contends.

It further maintains it is an irrational decision.

Also challenged in the lawsuit are the party’s alleged failure to settle and provide final membership lists to candidates; name the locations of polling stations; confirm whether polling cards have been mailed out; and distribute election guidelines to all candidates.

The claim also takes issue with a decision to appoint an elections supervisory committee which allegedly lacks genuine independence.

“The claimants challenge the genuineness of the independence of the Elections Supervisory Committee…” the lawsuit said pointed to several issues to which the claimants sought answers from the committee’s chairman, Anthony Roberts, but received no direct response.

One was the decision to hold the election over the nine-day period.

“The ESC chairman’s reply sidestepped and never answered the question posed by the claimant’s attorney as to the justification for changing the Elections from one day to nine days.”

Seven declarations are being sought – which include one to allow all candidates, or their authoritised representatives, to oversee the casting of ballots at all polling stations – as well as three orders to allow ballots to be counted immediately after the close of voting, postponing the election for 21 days to give effect to the court’s orders and declarations.

Another of the orders seeks to allow every candidate to follow ballot boxes to the venue where votes will be counted.

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The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has extended the submission deadline for its 40th Anniversary Stamp Design Competition.  The deadline is now 25 November.

In October 2022, the ECCB announced the stamp design competition to commemorate its Ruby (40th) Anniversary, which falls on 1 October 2023.

The Stamp Design Competition is open to residents in the ECCB member countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat,Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, except employees of the ECCB and its affiliates and their close relatives, as well as anyone connected with the judging of the competition.

Entries will be judged in three age categories: 5-11, 12-17, and 18 and over.

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Entrants may choose to depict an individual or a group of people, as well as any major achievement(s) or development(s) they consider to be instrumental to the legacy of the ECCB.

Entrants may also choose to illustrate the ECCB’s proven record of excellence and forward-looking vision, that has been recognised, through various international awards for innovation.  For example, the 2022 Central Banking Green Initiative Award for its Solar Canopy Project.

Interested candidates should submit their entries, along with the age category they are in, to the ECCB’s 40th Anniversary Planning Committee via the email address: efapc@eccb-centralbank.org.  The email should have the subject line 40th Anniversary Stamp Design Competition.

The winners across all age categories will be announced via ECCB’s news releases, social media channels and website www.eccb-centralbank.org.  Winners will also be awarded certificates and prizes for their outstanding efforts.

SOURCE: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

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