KINGSTON -- The crime situation in Jamaica is so grave and nationally alarming that it will be the only subject to be dealt with at next week's meeting of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's cabinet.
Both the 'Gleaner' and 'Observer' newspapers yesterday highlighted this unusual development for a regular weekly cabinet session, even as Home Circuit Court Judge, Lloyd Hibbert, was pleading with Jamaicans to cooperate with the country's justice system in reporting murders and criminal violence.
The basis for next Monday's cabinet focus on "crime and violence" will be a report from a bipartisan Crime Committee, established last year. It is expected that discussions on the report will be initiated by newly-appointed National Security Minister, Peter Phillips.
During 2001, 1,138 murders were recorded by the police across the country, the highest in any single year, including election years. And for the first week of this month there have already been 17 murders.
Information Minister Colin Campbell, told a news conference Monday: "Next week's Cabinet meeting will be dedicated for a full discussion on the situation regarding crime and violence in the country...All issues, including a report by the (2001) Joint Task Force with representation from the government, opposition and the private sector, will be dealt with by the Cabinet and decision taken..."
For his part, Judge Hibbert was lamenting Monday that 120 of the 188 cases traversed from the previous term of the Home Circuit Court, were for crimes of murder.
He was quoted by the 'Gleaner' as saying that the criminals were more "brazen" than before because people were not reporting some of the crimes to the police. And there were instances of murder cases having to be put off because "witnesses were afraid to turn up out of fear".
Antigua wants CARICOM meeting on CMC future
ST.JOHN'S -- Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Lester Bird, wants the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat to arrange for an urgent meeting of CARICOM Ministers of Information to discuss the crisis in the free flow of intra-regional news as a result of the sudden closure last week of the Barbados-headquartered Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
In a press statement announcing his government's preparedness to host a meeting of Information Ministers and representatives of the CMC, Bird said he had requested of Community Secretary General Edwin Carrington that the CMC issue be placed on the agenda for this week's meeting of the CARICOM Bureau.
That two-day meeting, scheduled this week in the Turks and Caicos Island, is also expected to discuss the current political crisis in Trinidad and Tobago following the 18-18 seats deadlock and the collapse of an agreement between the United National Congress and the People's National Movement with the appointment of Patrick Manning as new Prime Minister.
The CARICOM Bureau comprises three heads of government (currently those from The Bahamas, Belize and Guyana) and the Secretary General. It functions as a Management Committee between meetings of Heads of Government.
Its recommendations will be forwarded to community heads in time for their first Inter-Sessional Meeting for this year scheduled for Belize in February.
In his letter proposing the CMC issue for placement on the Bureau's agenda, Prime Minister Bird said: "As we are moving toward the solidifying of the single market and economy (SCME), it is unsatisfactory that the region should lose the means of informing each member state about developments in the other.
"The CSME would suffer considerably from this loss of (CMC's services) as, indeed, the entire process of regional integration...", said Bird.
Overhaul of drugs service in Barbados
BRIDGETOWN -- Barbados is moving to overhaul its problem-plagued 22-year-old state-run Drug Service against the background of rising discontent and widespread complaints over lack of essential drugs at the country's network of polyclinics.
The 'Daily Nation' reported yesterday that the proposed "major overhaul" has been disclosed by the new Health Minister, Senator Jerome Walcott, a former President of the Barbados Medical Practitioners Association.
Walcott said that while he was aware of the problems of unavailability of prescription drugs and polyclinics the relevant funds had been released and polyclinics and pharmacies should have adequate supplies.
The minister conceded to longstanding problems that could only be resolved by a complete overhaul of the system by which the Barbados Drug Service has been operating over the years.
But he is faced with more than dissatisfaction over lack of prescription drugs at polyclinics. There are also recurring problems of lack of drugs, declining services and staff shortages at the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital that once enjoyed a healthy reputation as a model institution of the Caribbean.