GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: OCTOBER 7 - 13, 2007

UNCLAS GRENADA 000150 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI KPAO ASEC GJ SUBJECT: GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: OCTOBER 7 - 13, 2007 ¶1. (U) Embassy Grenada's weekly activity report (GWAR) provides a little detail about events of interest that do not merit longer reporting at this time. ¶2. (U) Begin GWAR text: NO PRISONERS IN COURT FOR OPENING OF OCTOBER ASSIZES The October assizes, opened on October 9 without any of the prisoners whose cases were scheduled to be heard present. As a result of the Grenada Bar Association's (GBA) public claim of a tuberculosis outbreak in the Richmond Hill Prison (Grenada's only prison) and statement that the lawyers feared for their lives, the lead High Court Judge ordered the prisoners kept out of court. The refusal to allow prisoners into court has delayed cases already pushed back from the June assizes, when the June 11-20 Grenada 13 re-sentencing kept other cases from being heard. Grenada's Chief Medical Officer and the Ministry of Health declared the GBA claims to be without substance. Minister for Legal Affairs, Claris Charles called on GBA members to withdraw their inflammatory statements and attend to the `people's business'. Charles said that she is concerned that persons were being denied access to the court system due to the actions of the GBA. Embassy Grenada has checked with local health officials and private doctors and been told that there is only one known active TB case in Grenada, a fisherman who is in the hospital being treated. As a result of the controversy, the Ministry of Health is checking all prisoners. Note: there are no AmCit prisoners in Grenada. POLICE OFFICERS TO GET PAY INCREASE A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the Government of Grenada and the Police Welfare Association which provides fringe benefits and salary increases to members of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF). The MOU covers the period 2006 to ¶2009. The last police pay raise took place in 2002. MORE RESIGNATIONS FROM PLM The resignation of four top members of the Peoples' Labor Movement (PLM) and the planned resignation of another two undercuts the viability of the party. PLM was formed when Francis Alexis united his Democratic Labor Party (DLP) with remnants of the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM) in ¶1999. The former deputy leader, journalist Bernard Jones said he has since pledged his loyalties to the Gloria Payne-Banfield's side of the Grenada United Labor Party (GULP). PLM now joins GULP as internally dysfunctional. Neither party appears capable of running an election campaign as their leaders quarrel over position and status. PM'S PRESS SECRETARY ASKS MEDIA GROUP TO APOLOGIZE The Prime Minister's Press Secretary, Barry Collymore called on Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) president Michael Bascombe to apologize to the Governor General for accusing the Governor General and the Grenada Government of misleading the people in the Throne Speech, presented on Friday October 12, in which it was stated that Prime Minister Keith Mitchell presented a paper on climate change in New York to world leaders. Bascombe had claimed that President Bush and other leaders were not at the event during which Mitchell represented the small island states. MCISAAC