HOME	JUNE 26th, 2004

JUNE 26

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has told the people of the Caribbean that an escalating abuse of power by the embattled Keith Mitchell regime is returning Grenada to the "dark days of Gairyism".

At a well-attended news conference in Barbados last week Thursday (June 17), an NDC delegation comprising Opposition Leader, Tillman Thomas, PRO Nazim Burke, and Assistant General Secretary, Senator Arley Gill, strongly condemned the regime's "crude attempts" to stifle free speech and block the free flow of information to Grenadians.

"In recent times, our democratic institutions have been under attack, both the Parliament and the press in particular," Thomas told reporters, voicing concern about the implications for Grenada's image. "We see such attacks as matters of regional importance," he added.

In the prevailing climate, the NDC made it clear that it was opposed to Mitchell assuming the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at this time.

He is scheduled to do so early next month when CARICOM heads of government hold their annual summit in Grenada. As expected, the Eric Resteiner "briefcase" affair was the hot topic at the news conference.

Resteiner, appointed by the Mitchell Cabinet as Grenada's Trade Counsellor back in 1999, is facing criminal charges in the USA related to the operation of a fraudulent investment scheme. Forced on the defensive by widespread criticism triggered by an April 30, 2004 story in the Miami-based publication, Offshore Alert, Mitchell denied accepting US$500,000 from Resteiner in a May 19 nationwide broadcast.

He confessed, however, to taking "approximately $15,000" which he said was to cover expenses related to a 2000 investment promotion tour.

Claiming there was "nothing irregular, immoral or clandestine" about the matter, Mitchell subsequently threatened to sue any media house which carried the Offshore Alert story. Since then, government intimidation of the media has intensified and there has been some censorship of news on partially state-owned GBN.

Saying that a key principle of good governance is at stake, the NDC repeated its call for Mitchell's action to be subjected to an official investigation, to be undertaken preferably by a prominent Caribbean jurist.

Pending the outcome of such a probe, the NDC said Mitchell should vacate office. At last week's sitting of the Senate, the NDC attempted to introduce a motion calling for the selection of a parliamentary committee to appoint an independent panel to carry out the enquiry.

The motion, however, was disallowed by the president of the Senate, Leslie-ann Seon. Sen. Gill challenged the basis of the ruling. "We strongly disagree with her," he said.

Going by its track record of exposing wrongdoing, its success in defending itself against law suits, and the type of institutions which are subscribers, Burke said Offshore Alert, published by British investigative journalist David Marchant, is a "very credible" publication.

"Since this magazine was founded in 1996, there have been four law suits against Mr. Marchant, three have been completed, one is presently pending before the courts and, of the three that have been completed, he has won every single one of them and 11 of the plaintiffs in those three law suits are now in prison in the United States," Burke pointed out.