WILL THE POLICE AND THE DPP ARREST THE GOVERNMENT AND MR CHOU?

"No Government should be above the law. So, why should the police or DPP arrest ordinary citizens for breaking the law, and allow members of the Government of St. Lucia and the Taiwanese Ambassador to break our laws with impunity?"

 As the Super 8 prepares to launch what it calls its massive rally near the Public Library in Vieux Fort, lets us examine the “Sword of Damocles” that hangs over the head of a corrupt government which has taken the country to the brink of economic disaster, international shame and social chaos.

No Government should be above the law. So, why should the police or DPP arrest ordinary citizens for breaking the law, and allow members of the Government of St. Lucia and the Taiwanese Ambassador to break our laws with impunity?

There are international precedents where a country’s law-enforcement machinery has closed in, arrest and charge Ministers of Government for breaking the law; so why is the Police and DPP afraid to do the same in St. Lucia?

We want our law enforcement machinery and other arms of justice to take the lead and demonstrate their intestinal fortitude by arresting members of the government and their accessories for openly breaking the law.

The tyrants in the Middle East thought they would enjoy “eternal” immunity for their atrocities and crimes against humanity against their very own people. But the "ordinary man on the street" who make governments "powerful" can also make them "powerless".

Saddam was toppled and executed; the democratic revolution in Egypt brought the collapse of the Mubarak government; the rebels in Libya are as we speak toppling the Gaddafi Regime. The Assad regime is also at a tottering angle and it’s a matter of time before the inevitable happens!

In each of the cases cited above, it was unadulterated “people’s power” which solved the problem.

If our police and the DPP will not arrest the Government and the Taiwanese Ambassador for breaking our laws, then will an apparently increasing mass of angry people put up with those violations and corruption forever? Under those potentially explosive conditions, what will happen next? If the status quo persist, should we as a people seek the support of the International Community or should we begin to exercise our people’s power and arrest the criminals who form the Government of St. Lucia? Or should we do both?

Let us examine the case for the arrest of the government of St. Lucia.

Section 77 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia which states: 

“All revenues or other moneys raised or received by Saint Lucia (not being revenues or other moneys that are payable, by or under any law for the time being in force in Saint Lucia, into some other fund established for specific purpose) shall be paid into and form a Consolidated Fund.”

The issue is further clearly elucidated in section 7 of the Finance (Administration) Act, Cap 15.01. That section says:

(1) “Subject to the Constitution and except as otherwise provided in this Act, all revenues and other monies raised or received for the purposes of the Government, not being revenue or other monies which are payable by or under any enactment into some other fund established for a specific purpose, shall be paid into and form part of the Consolidated Fund.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) monies raised or received include monies received by way of a grant, donation, gift or other liked method.”

Clearly, the financial arrangement between UWP Parliamentarians and the Taiwanese is illegal, irrespective of the channels of diversion they used. Channeling the money through a third party like the village council does not mitigate the offence, it only broadens the net for arrest; for they all have broken the laws governing procurement as well as the state laws relating to “sources and application of funds”.

Let us consider some specific cases. At the very top, we have the Tuxedo Trial which was an unequivocal instance where an entire Cabinet of ministers was tried for corruption and found guilty in a Court of Law; yet, they continue to govern as if Tuxedo never happened.

The Minister of Housing was charged for customs fraud; yet, he continues to sit deep within the bosom of government.

Contrary to the provisions of the Constitution and the Finance Administration Act, ministers illegally received millions of dollars from the Taiwanese Ambassador. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is a US federal convict who has broken the Laws of St. Lucia several times with impunity.

The question is: If the police and the DPP will not arrest those criminals who are deeply entrenched in government, then who will? If the trend continues and there is no justice, will the people follow the precedents of the Middle East and seek their own justice?

TROPICAL DEPRESSION NUMBER 10

Tropical Depression 10 formed early this morning in the far eastern Atlantic. Recent satellite images show that this system is continuing to get better organized, and may become Tropical Storm Jose later today. The good news is that most indications are this system will pose no threat to any significant land masses while moving slowly to the northwest this weekend. Here is the current information about it.

Status                  :        Tropical Depression

Position              :        12.4° N, 30.4° W

Winds                 :        35 mph

Gusts                   :        45 mph

Movement          :        WNW 13 mph

Pressure             :        29.74 in / 1007 mb

Below is a computer model showing the projected path and  development of the system:

Details and projections for Tropical Depression Jose

MR MAURUS FAUCHER: AMBASSADOR PLENIPOTENTIARY FOR CHOISEUL

 by Augustin Charles, PhD (UWI), JP

 

 

 

MY OPEN THOUGHTS OF MAURUS FAUCHER, JP

 MY FIRST ENCOUNTER

I first knew Maurus Faucher when I was a school boy, perhaps age 13. In fact my first encounter with him is still very vivid in my mind. There was a beachside cricket match in the Village - exactly where the Choiseul Fisheries is located - and he was the scorer. Upon looking at the "scoresheet", his stylish penmanship immediately caught my attention. I told my friends said “I wish I could write like this”. 

Indeed, he had the most stylish handwriting I had ever known; and even when it was elegantly stylish, it was extremely legible.

Later on, I learned he was also the printer/painter who inscribed most of those lovely names and insignia on the canoe boats that lined our beachfront. I was also told that he was the one who also printed names on the "Milo", "Sweet peace" and "Sugar Plum" trucks.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

As I grew up, I got to know Mr Faucher more and more. He was probably the “lone loud voice” in a typically quiet and serene village setting. He had an irresistible penchant for intellectual exchanges; and so he would normally judge your quality by your eloquence. In other words, if you were eloquent, you were bright; if you were not, you were - to quote him - a “nonentity” or a “numbskull”. 

Mr Faucher took up residence in the community of Le Riche (just a couple of hundred yards down the road from me) about 40 years ago; and our close physical proximity to each other resulted in the deepening and broadening of both my knowledge and relationship with him. 

As time went by, I began to discover the deep sense of humanity in him - despite his seeming confrontational façade. I finally discovered he was a Good Samaritan who was very responsive to people’s needs and sufferings.

THE VILLAGE WHERE FAUCH WAS BORN

I remember when he first came to live at Le Riche, he was the only person who owned a vehicle and the quantum of voluntary service he gave to the community was unrivalled. That service became even more pronounced when he took up a new job with LINMORE in Vieux Fort. The pickup van he drove was the regular mode of transportation for so many commuters and there was never a hint of a grudge from him.  

"UNCOMPROMISINGLY" CHOISEULIAN

Another attribute of Fauch was his uncompromising “Choiseulian-ness”, perhaps to the point of fixation, territoriality and even discrimination. That manifested itself in an unapologetically pro-Choiseulian advocacy which may have come dangerously close to a predisposition for “preferential treatment" and "special priority", which he afforded to Choiseulians who sought better opportunities in the businesses he managed. Perhaps, he understood the indigence, the poverty and vulnerability which his people faced.

JUST OUTSIDE MR FAUCHER'S VILLAGE HOME

By the same token, he unabashedly renounced - and had scant respect for  - his fellow Choiseulians who turned their backs on the village that gave them birth. That was perhaps an expression of the magnitude of his “patriotism” for his “village”.

CHOISEUL: SELF-SUFFICIENT IN TALENT

He was of the general view that Choiseul was not only self-sufficient in food and fish but equally in talent; and given that some of the Choiseul talent in the diaspora would be invested in Choiseul, then (he thought) we would have become a far better community way above and beyond the “plus belle village” concept.

Mr Faucher also subscribed to the view that Choiseul was not being profiled in proportion to its talents and resources; perhaps that explains why he indefatigably took to the talk-show circuit and saw himself as an “ambassador plenipotentiary” for that purpose.  But it may also be more than that: Mr Faucher loved to share information and he did so impulsively and compulsively - as was the case when he took it on his own to prematurely announce Lorne’s candidacy for Choiseul.

THE TALK SHOW CIRCUIT

Before passing away, he shared a story of disappointment with me, involving his favourite talk show host. He told me that he was so overwhelmed by Lorne’s candidacy that he wanted to be the one to break the news on his favorite talk show programme. But he explained that his treatment by the host brought him so much psychosomatic stress that he stopped calling that show for an extended period of time.

That incident somewhat reshaped his perception of some of the presenters who he claimed hid behind a cloak of objective journalism; but he thought they were actually “Trojan Horses” planted on the Talk show circuit to serve political interests.

VORACIOUS FOR NEWS & INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE

He was voracious for news, and hunting for intellectual exchange; and in this regard, his favourite companion was his 12-band radio which allowed him to listen to a broad spectrum of views locally, regionally and internationally. Living in Choiseul gave him a distinct opportunity to savour news and intellectual discourses from the islands of the Southern Caribbean (St. Vincent, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad). Hence, he was in an enviably strong position to compare and judge the quality of discourse across those islands with that of our own. He was also a keen subscriber to BBC radio, Voice of America and a number of international radio stations on the shortwave band.

Mr Faucher’s regarded the radio not just as a companion; but also as learning medium, a kind of "open university".

WAS HE A CONUNDRUM?

Some people regarded Mr Faucher as “conundrum”, especially when he made that dramatic political shift from the UWP - the party that he loved and supported all his life – to SLP; a fact that he made no bones about. But it was not just a shift of allegiance; it was the precedence of kinship over politics. Indeed, Mr Faucher had a strong sense of kinship which generally circumscribed his outlook on life. He subscribed to the kweyol philosophy “Né konyen; zyé pléwé".

There was absolutely no doubt he loved his politics; but he was also a tormenter of politicians, especially if that politician was his "adversary".

NOT PERFECT BUT MANY PERFECT ATTRIBUTES

Mr Faucher was not perfect; but he demonstrated many perfect qualities such as frankness, honesty, devotion to his family, a deep sense of humanity and the pursuit of wisdom. These are lasting legacies that he left us!

 

Fauch, we will dearly miss you; we will miss your voice on the radio; we will miss your cliches and idioms; we will miss your analyses; we will miss your love, your advice. But we know the almighty has performed his will. Indeed, "Life is just a pilgrim on earth". May God bless you.

Mr Faucher rest in peace!

WE REMEMBER MR MAURUS FAUCHER

May he Rest in Peace

Mr MAURUS FAUCHER popularly known as “Fauch” was born in Choiseul Village 67 years ago. He was one of 7 sons of his mother, Mrs Fedora Emmanuel who moved to live in Antigua while he was still a young man. (He was brother to Eldridge Thomas – a teacher of the Soufriere Comprehensive School - who passed on a couple of years ago.)

“Fauch” attended the Choiseul Boys School and upon graduating he worked with the Public Works Department (now the Ministry of Communications, Work, Transport & Public Utilities). He then moved on to work with Geest prior to joining the Royal St. Lucia Police Force where he worked for a number of years.

His success and versatility as salesman and manager manifested themselves when he moved to work with “LINMORE” in Vieux Fort and Harcel Investments in La Fargue. There, he proved himself to be not only a fine salesman; but also an excellent manager.

His final job was with Jalousie Resort where he worked as Transportation manager. It was while working there that he became ill and retired from work.

Although he was an amputee, he never gave up. He served on the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities in the capacity of PRO. He was also a member of the Mongouge Club60.

Video Clip of Fauch at Lorne Launching

Fauch was a fearless, frank, dynamic and articulate speaker who always called a spade, a spade. He has left a legacy of clichés and idioms for the “many of us” who interfaced with him.He was a major speaker at Lorne's Launching a couple of weeks ago.

Fauch, delivering an address at Lorne's Launching!

Fauch was also a regular listener and caller to all the TalkShows and was not afraid to share with us on the “Talkshow circuit”, the many things that life had taught him.

Mr Faucher suddenly departed this life on Sunday, August 21 at about 11.25 pm. He leaves to mourn his wife (Corolla Faucher), one son (John Jonas) and two daughters (Kervina and Tricia Faucher), as well as many other relatives and friends from his native village of Choiseul, the community of Mongouge, Antigua and the USA.

May Fauch rest in Peace!

A special Church Service to celebrate the life and work of Mr Faucher will be held at  the Lady of Lourdes Church, Choiseul on Saturday, August 27 from 1 PM. The cortege will thereafter proceed to the Choiseul Cemetery where his body will be laid to rest.


All friends and well-wishers are asked to take note.

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE BRING ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN

A study by American Sociological Association found getting a wedding ring on your finger - and losing it - could cause people's weight to rise.

“There is an increased risk of piling on the pounds in the two years after a marriage starts or ends.

“Newly-married women were at greatest risk of "large" weight gains.

“Some gains may "pose a health risk", say the authors from Ohio State University.

“The study followed people from 1986 to 2008 and monitored changes in body mass index (BMI) - a weight/height ratio measurement - and marital status.

“The researchers compared the BMI of people who married or divorced with those who were already married or stayed single.

 

“Even after adjusting the data for each person's health, education, employment, poverty and pregnancy - there was still an increased risk of weight gain associated with marriage and divorce.

“These are significant changes in someone's life. It can change their living situation and the types of food they eat”

“In women, marriage increased the risk of a small increase in weight (up to a three point increase in BMI) by 33%. There was a 48% higher risk of large weight gains (more than a three point BMI increase).

 

“Newly-divorced women had a 22% increased risk of small weight gain.

“Men were 28% more likely to have small increases in weight after marriage and 21% after divorce. 

“The report concludes: "All martial transitions act as a weight shock, encouraging small weight gains regardless of the destination marital state."

Lead author, Dmitry Tumin, said: "To some extent, marriages for women promote weight gains that may be large enough to pose a health risk."

Helen Riley at the British Nutrition Foundation charity said: "These are significant changes in someone's life. It can change their living situation and the types of food they eat.

"But different people deal with it in different ways and it can be positive for some people."

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14592168