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Nikhil Luthra, left, with former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj in a photo taken in 2020. –

TWO months after he was shot while liming, Lebanese building designer Elie Hajaly, 51, has died.

Hajaly died at the Port of Spain General Hospital on October 8. He is the second person killed after the gun attack at The Residence nightclub at One Woodbrook Place on August 13.

Businessman Nikhil Luthra, 34, of Pelican Road, Lange Park, Chaguanas and Hajaly, 51, of Westmoorings were shot while liming on the patio of the club at about 2.30 am. Luthra died that day.

A third person, Roger Ramdeo, 34, of Princes Town was shot but survived.

Hajaly, who came to Trinidad ten years ago and was involved in designing several major projects, was the intended target, police said.

Police reported that the three were sitting with their backs to the road when a man with a red bandanna across his face and a hoodie, opened fire on the group. The killer then escaped in a Toyota Axio.

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Having recently participated in a Lima Ministerial meeting earlier this month on the Los Angeles Declaration that was made to address challenges in irregular migration in the Western hemisphere, Guyana has been identified as the co-lead on refugee resettlement.

There are a total of three pillars and 11 committees. According to the United States (US) Department of State in an update on the Lima Ministerial meeting, Guyana and Canada will be co-leading the refugee settlement committee.

This committee is operating under pillar two of the Los Angeles Declaration: “Regular Pathways for Migration and International Protection”. Also participating in that committee are Mexico, Uruguay and the United States.

Guyana was one of the endorsing countries that convened for the Lima Ministerial Meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration to discuss successes, opportunities, and next steps in addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere.“Endorsing countries identified concrete and ambitious commitments to maintain the momentum of the Los Angeles Declaration initiative, presented during the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022. The 21 endorsing countries agreed on priority areas for interventions to create conditions for safe, orderly, and humane migration.”

“Partners agreed to work together to advance the pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration: 1) stability and assistance; 2) legal pathways; 3) humane migration management; and 4) emergency response. Participants identified key workstreams under the first three pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration that will develop shared lines of policy action,” the State Department said.

It was explained that these countries volunteered to lead the various Action Package Committees, with each endorsing country committing to participate in at least one Committee to shape its commitments under the Los Angeles Declaration.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd, had at the time participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) within the margins of the Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly.

The SIRG meeting discussed the results of the 9th Summit of the Americas along with the proposed calendar and working procedures within the framework of implementation of the 9th Summit.

In his remarks, Minister Todd had reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the Summit process and committed to working with the Dominican Republic as they prepare to host the 10th Summit of the Americas.

The Los Angeles Declaration, made on June 10, 2022 during the Ninth Summit of the Americas that the US hosted this year, proclaims that countries in the Region will combine their efforts to create safe, orderly and humane conditions for regular migration, while strengthening frameworks for international cooperation.

Guyana for its part has been tackling the migration problem head on, particularly as it relates to properly integrating Venezuelan immigrants fleeing the economic crisis in Venezuela, into the Guyanese society.

Last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative had pointed out that Guyana is home to an estimated 24,500 refugees and migrants from Venezuela, including some 2500 Indigenous Warraus.

During a meeting with the UNHCR, Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd had noted that the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee continues to address the influx of migrants from Venezuela. Additionally, he explained that efforts continue to facilitate the ongoing monitoring and other activities geared towards improving the lives of the migrants from Venezuela residing in Guyana.

The Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee is co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance and includes representatives of the Ministries of Education, Health, Home Affairs, Human Services and Social Security, Guyana Water Incorporation, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, the Civil Defence Commission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR.

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The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will deliver its ruling on Wednesday in Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana in which it held that it had jurisdiction to hear an election petition dismissed for improper service. On July 19, the regional court heard a plethora of arguments in the case, before reserving its ruling, which it had promised to render in the shortest possible time. Hearing the case were CCJ Justices Jacob Wit, Winston Anderson, Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, Peter Jamadar and Denys Barrow.

In a 2 to 1 majority ruling on December 21, 2021, the Court of Appeal took jurisdiction to hear an appeal against acting Chief Justice Roxane George’s decision to dismiss the election—filed by Monica Thomas and Brennan Nurse—based on improper service/non-service on former President David Granger, a respondent in the matter. The petition pursuant to Article 163 of the Constitution, which was dismissed on January 18, 2021, was filed on behalf of the APNU/AFC and challenged the results of the March 2, 2020, national elections with the intent of having Granger declared the duly-elected President.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory had ruled that to oust the Appeal Court from hearing the appeal against the Chief Justice’s ruling would defeat the purpose of Article 163 of the Constitution. The Chancellor had noted that although she had considered all the precedents relied on by Nandlall, they failed to invalidate the Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction to hear the appeal. In a dissenting judgement, however, Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud had said that considering the unambiguous language of that constitutional provision, as well as the fact that Justice George did not dismiss the petition on its merits, but rather because of procedural errors, a right of appeal did not lie to the Court of Appeal.

The manner of service is prescribed in Rule 9 (1) of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Rules, which imposes on the petitioners the statutory obligation to effect service within five days after the presentation of the petition.

Having been filed on September 15, 2020, the petition should have been served on Granger five days thereafter, which would have been September 21, 2020, since the fifth day – September 20, 2020 – was a Sunday. But in Nurse’s Affidavit of Service, it was stated that the petition, along with the relevant documents, was only served on Granger on September 25, 2020 – five days outside of the statutorily prescribed period.

At the Court of Appeal, Nandlall and Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who is representing Jagdeo, had argued that Article 163 of the Constitution bestows upon the High Court a peculiar jurisdiction to hear election petition. They argued that there is no statutory or constitutional jurisdiction given to the Court of Appeal to hear an election petition dismissed for procedural impropriety or any other reason not stated in Article 163 (1).

According to the two Senior Counsel, Article 163 constitutes the complete code of how election petitions are to be determined, lists the types of issues that are to be raised by an election petition, and also limits the grounds upon which appeals flow from the determination of those issues. Article 163, they submitted, limit appeals to be filed from decisions coming from the High Court that are commenced by an election petition only to the determination of the questions identified in that constitutional provision.

“The learned Chief Justice in her ruling struck out the petition on the ground that there was non-service. In her written decision, her honour stated that service within the time prescribed is a condition precedent to the hearing and determination of an election petition,” the Attorney General had argued. He added, “The [Chief Justice] never determined the questions which the petition raised to be determined which are the questions raised in Article 163 (1) from which Article 163 (3) says an appeal lies to the Court of Appeal upon the determination of those questions or orders consequential to the determination of those questions.” As such, Nandlall argued that with those questions having not been determined, there is no right of appeal in any other statute nor the Constitution upon which the petitioners can hinge their appeal.

But Roysdale Forde, SC, and John Jeremie, SC – who appear for the petitioners – argued that the Court of Appeal does have jurisdiction to entertain the matter under Article 123 of the Constitution and the Court of Appeal Act.

Jeremie had previously submitted that his clients had properly invoked the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal to where an “automatic right” of appeal lay as the High Court had determined and made its pronouncement on the election petition.

The petitioners contend that the elections were unlawfully conducted and/or that the results (if lawfully conducted) were affected or might have been affected by unlawful acts or omissions. They are also asking the court to declare that President Dr Irfaan Ali is illegally holding office. The results of a national recount of all ballots cast showed that the PPP/C won the general elections with 233,336 votes over the coalition’s 217,920 votes.

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A social media video from an unidentified source unlawfully using the logo and name of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is circulating in English-speaking Caribbean countries as a “Public Warning Alert” on COVID-19 vaccination in children.

PAHO would like to inform the public that the message does not reflect the position of the Organization, and that it contains false and defamatory information regarding PAHO’s activities, projects, and funding.

Furthermore, the misinformation contained in the video that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous to children, cause infections and can lead them to become sterile is not based on scientific evidence.

If this misinformation is followed by parents and guardians, children’s health will be put at serious risk.

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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can lead to severe disease in people at any age, especially those with underlying medical conditions. The virus has caused over 17,500 deaths in English-, Dutch- and French-speaking Caribbean countries and territories since 2020.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and provide strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

PAHO’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy follows the advice of World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and PAHO’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for Vaccines and Immunization in the Americas.

SAGE and TAG comprise independently appointed experts who review the clinical evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness before making a recommendation.

Both currently recommend that people get vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent severe disease and death, with vaccines approved under WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

SAGE and TAG recommend that countries must achieve at least 70% coverage with a primary vaccination series among the general population and 100% in high-risk priority groups.

PAHO reiterates the importance of implementing comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination strategies to reach these targets.

The Organization is working with Caribbean Governments and other partners to inform the population of the Caribbean and to encourage mothers to protect their children with the COVID-19 vaccine.

PAHO condemns the unauthorized and fraudulent use of its name and logo to spread any misinformation.

SOURCE: Pan American Health Organization/SLT. Headline photo: Stock image.

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O’Connor Basil Dawkins’ illustrious career in theatre has made him one of the industry’s greats.

His exploits will, this year, see him being awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) for his stellar contribution to the creative industry, in particular theatre.

“I am elated. I feel like I am collecting it on behalf of so many other deserving people. I am representing a collective of many persons; but I am there because they allowed me their shoulders to walk on, and for that reason, I accept with pride. I hope that others will be inspired to continue the work… and that one day, they, too, will be rewarded with a national honour,” said the distinguished playwright who is more popularly known as Basil Dawkins.

Dawkins is among the 221 people who will be honoured at the National Honours and Award Ceremony at King’s House on National Heroes Day, October 17.

The 2022 national honour awardee told JIS news that his passion for art blossomed during his years at university.

This, despite his mother’s encouragement to consider doing theatre and drama earlier in his life, as the young Basil was considered shy.

“When I went to the university back in 1973, I saw Trevor Rhone’s ‘Smile Orange’. That was one of the features for freshman’s week and I said, ‘You know, this is something that I think I could get into’. But then I told myself, ‘No, I couldn’t manage this, I’m too shy’.

“Once I, just out of curiosity, heard some rehearsals going on at the Creative Arts Centre, pushed in my head, and the director said, ‘Come in, we need somebody to play a crowd scene’. I eventually got a minor role. I had one sentence to say and I rehearsed it like Shakespeare and on the night of the performance, full audience, everybody excited, I got lockjaw, never [remembered] my lines and that was my baptism,” Dawkins said.

He pointed out that writing allowed him to stay in theatre as his work schedule, following university, included travelling, and so he would not have been able to act.

“I wanted to stay in theatre. But acting was not compatible, having gotten employment and having to travel. So the only thing I could think of doing to stay in touch with theatre, was to write. So I’d write while I travelled and that’s how I got into writing.

“I wrote my first play about ’78 and then got produced in 1980. ‘Flat Mate’ did very very well and then when people started to expect that they would get another production from me, I thought, ‘Maybe I should be looking at this in a more serious way’… and that’s basically how I got in,” Dawkins said.

In the 1980s, theatre was at its peak with the rise of Caribbean expressions, and it began mirroring many of the country’s social issues, similar to Dawkins’ first production, ‘Flat Mate’.

“Flat Mate was kind of a story influenced by my living on hall [at the UWI], Taylor Hall, and then having lived, after I graduated, on Hope Road. I used to watch the ladies going to work, and I started to ask myself, ‘How [do] they dress so well and I’m a graduate getting a salary and can hardly make ends meet?’ So I fashioned a story around that. It stirred conversations about dependency, woman’s independence and that kind of thing, which I hadn’t anticipated,” he pointed out.

Dawkins then resolved to give his plays more ears and eyes and has, so far, scripted more than 40 productions.

“Thereafter, though, I made it a point of duty to start studying, learning the pros and cons, the nitty gritty, the ABCs right down to the XYZs of playwriting and improved myself along the way, and relied heavily on like the Trevor Rhones and the Louis Marriots, Carmen Tipling, and I kind of sponged up everything that I heard them say to do or not to do,” he shared.

Dawkins said that he has been able to work with some of the industry’s greats in his productions.

“I was able to work with people like Leonie Forbes [and] Charles Hyatt. Maybe most of the greats, maybe most theatre practitioners have at one time or another, done a Basil Dawkins production because, right now, I’m about into my 40th or 41st production,” he indicated.

The name Basil Dawkins and Jamaican theatre have grown to become inseparable, and this has resulted in him enjoying some satisfying gains.

“It has been a rewarding road. I don’t consider it work because I love it so much. But it has been helpful for me and I have used it to be as helpful as I can, in my own small way, to others in Jamaica. It has footprints all over the world because other people have done the plays that I have written,” he stated.

Dawkins shared that one of his most fulfilling accomplishments was to get his daughter, Toni-Kay, involved in his work and creative process.

“It wasn’t easy… maybe one of my most challenging [pursuits]; but she came in,” he declared.

The noted playwright pays homage to several other industry stakeholders who have worked and continue to do so tirelessly to make theatre a true reflection of Jamaicans and the local art form.

“With the Trevor Rhones, the Louis Marriotts, the Lloyd Reckords and [others], they, kind of made it accessible to the ordinary person, made him or her feel that they could come to the theatre and participate. One cannot underestimate the contributions of Bim and Bam and Clover, and also the important role of the Jamaica festival [organised by the [Jamaica Cultural Development Commission] JCDC, because they really went out into the highways and byways and got people involved in artistic expression,” he added.

Dawkins hopes to see more playwrights entering the industry and encourages them to be willing to learn.

“To get in, start writing. One of the things that they must do, though, is read a lot of plays, develop a keen sense of listening to themselves and to others. They should also go to as many plays as possible. Don’t only watch what’s happening on stage; watch how the audience is reacting, so they see when there is restlessness [and] they have a sense of what they are enjoying. So when they are writing they can be mindful of those things,” he emphasised.

Dawkins added that “essentially, if you’re just about to start, just think about your story and if you have an impactful story with a beginning, middle and end, and if it’s impactful for you, emotionally connected with you, chances are it will find some resonance with the wider society and I’d say just go right ahead, it’s not as difficult as it sounds.”

Some of Dawkins’ productions include ‘Champagne and Sky Juice’, ‘Same Song, Different Tune’, ‘What The Hell is Happening To Us Dear?’, ‘Which Way is Out?’, and ‘Hide Your Husband’.

The National Honours and Awards Ceremony will take place on the lawns of King’s House, beginning at 9am and will be presided over by Governor-general, Sir Patrick Allen.

The National Honours and Awards Act, promulgated on July 18, 1969, made it possible for the nation to recognise people who, by their service and contribution, have had a meaningful impact on national life.

By Chris Patterson, JIS News

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