Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves powered through a whirlwind week in New York, during his annual visit to the United Nations. Over a few short days, the PM met with current and former US Presidents Obama and Clinton, as well as having discussions with the leaders of Italy, Sweden, Kenya, Liberia, Georgia, Netherlands, Bahrain, and, most impressively, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.{{more}}

Gonsalves also co-chaired a special UN meeting on ending poverty and hunger, chaired another one on issues related to Small Island States, and signed a US$5 million dollar agreement with Mexico to pay for post-flood reconstruction in North Leeward. He made two trips to the UN podium to deliver thoughtful speeches on sustainable development and global issues. To top it off, he met with the Vincy diaspora for a packed town-hall meeting and talked reparations with African-American leaders in Harlem. Whew! It’s the sort of schedule that would grind many men into submission, but the 69-year-old Prime Minister didn’t seem to break a sweat. He was back on the political hustings as soon as he touched back down in SVG. Forget his politics: what does that man eat?

Runner-up:

The World Paediatric Project (WPP) has been a godsend to the children of SVG. Its visiting doctors have provided millions of dollars of free medical care to children, and brought expert specialized care to our hospital, which children would usually have to travel overseas to receive. Which is why it was wonderful to see local Vincies expressing their gratitude by patronizing “SOCA” –- Saving Our Children All-over –- a charity event headlined by Skinny Fabulous, the renowned artiste and promoter of children’s causes. The well-attended event can’t even remotely repay the WPP for all the good works it continues to do in SVG. But it’s good to show the visiting doctors that our gratitude goes beyond the families of the children whose lives are improved by their expert care.

WORST WEEK EVER:

The battered reputation of SVG’s legal profession took another body blow this week with news that yet another lawyer is suspected of criminal dishonesty.

This time, a lawyer has apparently concocted an elaborate forgery of Registry documents. Ironically, the deception was topped off with the forged signature of disgraced former Registrar Tamara Marks, who herself is a convicted criminal. Worse yet, since the Searchlight’s exposé didn’t name the offending attorney, everyone is speculating on whodunit. And with so many shady characters practising law in SVG, there are any number of likely suspects. Lawyers can talk all they want about their “noble” profession – but the court docket is starting to tell a different story.

Runner-up:

Talk about adding insult to injury! North Windward resident Shirley Baptiste was the innocent victim of a gruesome auto accident. She had her leg amputated after the vehicle in which she was riding to an NDP political event overturned on the way to Chateaubelair.

If that wasn’t enough, Ms Baptiste has now become a political football, jeered by some ULP supporters and cynically exploited by others in the NDP leadership. The woman just lost her leg, for God’s sake. Can’t we all just acknowledge the tragedy and offer support, without making an election issue out of her injury? Where is our humanity?

… I’d ask the Opposition Leader to stop fixating on the Government’s building material giveaway. Apparently the US$5 million spent on the materials (which the Government got on credit), could have paid the public servants (a $25 million bill) AND fixed the roads (roughly $70 million). Not only is the math funny, but it makes the Opposition seem heartless to the materials recipients, and plays right into the “Labour Love” propaganda. There are better things to attack than the usual election goodies giveaways.

Media Watch

Is there anything more irritating on our radio stations than these staged “conversations” with corporate representatives who drop by to advertise their latest products and specials? Here is Announcer X fawning over the latest deal at Courts, while, elsewhere on the dial, Announcer Y is astounded by the stunning offer from LIME or Digicel. It is painful to listen to, and it compromises the integrity of the announcers. Instead of this pathetic sucking up for corporate dollars, why can’t these companies just record advertisements and pay for them to air? Stop embarrassing yourselves, Vincy Radio.