ST. VINCENT RULE OF LAW SLUMPING, ECONOMY GRINDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000229 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR - JONATHAN MITCHELL SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DS FOR DS/ITA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2017 TAGS: PGOV ECON SNAR PREL PHUM ASEC XL VC SUBJECT: ST. VINCENT RULE OF LAW SLUMPING, ECONOMY GRINDING TO A HALT REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 220 ¶B. BRIDGETOWN 134 Classified By: PolOff Arend Zwartjes for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On the heels of the much-publicized rape case against the Prime Minister which was discontinued by the prosecution (Ref A),rule of law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been given a public black eye. With the murder rate among the highest in the world, meanwhile, crime is perceived by the general population to be spiraling out of control. A broad spectrum of Embassy contacts is gloomier than ever regarding the nation's economic outlook, which is riding on government-sponsored capital improvements and remittances. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has become polarized as every societal issue has become politicized, and most intellectuals have been ostracized or alienated by an increasingly demagogic PM Gonsalves. The only "success" story? The robust drug trade, which thrives under a government whose leadership was previously legal counsel to drug barons - a coincidence not overlooked by many Vincentians. End summary. Political Chasm -------------- ¶2. (U) On a recent visit to St. Vincent, PolOffs encountered constant chatter regarding the recent and ongoing rape charges filed against SVG Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. As detailed in reftel A, many Vincentians loyal to the ruling ULP view it as a political ploy. Despite the observation by the senior reporter for the pro-government newspaper The Searchlight, Kirby Jackson, that it is "an accusation that is winding its way through court system," most observers outside of government view the government's handling of the case as a serious affront to rule of law in the country. ¶3. (C) Unsurprisingly, the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) leaders are among the most vocal critics of the PM's tendency to politicize all issues, noting that everything in SVG is "based on party loyalty." Dr. Godwin Friday, the NDP member of parliament for the Northern Grenadines, told PolOffs that a pastor recently approached him, claiming that the government told him that to receive the permits he needed to build a new church, he would first need to acquire a United Labour Party (ULP) membership card. Such political 
accusations aside, more disconcerting is the number of Embassy contacts who admit to have previously worked quite closely with Gonsalves, but for one reason or another have been shunned or alienated by the PM. From the leader of the Green Party to Gonsalves's first cousin, the refrain "I used to be close to Ralph, but..." is heard time and time again. Unfortunately, this group represents most of the intelligencia, technocratic elite, and leaders of the business community. Lawyer vs. Lawyer -------------- ¶4. (SBU) This fallout between Gonsalves and his former associates mirrors the broader political divide, which pits intellectuals and businessmen (with the opposition) against less-educated and poorer populations. Kirby Jackson emphasized to PolOffs the popularity of the ruling ULP with "poorer people" due to its socialist policies, pointing out that "policy-wise, the poor person's children are doing well." Among SVG's intellectuals, the country's lawyers appear especially divided among party lines: while the PM is infamous for his role as a defense attorney for drug dealers prior to entering public office, three of the most senior leaders of the opposition NDP are lawyers, as are the very vocal leaders of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association. ¶5. (SBU) The majority of the country's lawyers have expressed concern for the state of rule of law in SVG, with NDP leaders expressing "concern about police and courts" to PolOffs. According to both Arnhim Eustace and Nicole Sylvester (of the Human Rights Association),St. Vincent has a very high conviction rate based on confessions (see also the Annual Report on Human Rights for SVG). Eustace further pointed to the various slander lawsuits that have been brought in the past year by the government year against himself, radio talk-show host E.J. Lynch (who was also convicted for "causing alarm" in 2006),Senator Daniel Cummings of the NDP, and the co-founder of the SVG Green Party. Dr. Friday noted in relation to these suits that, "civil law is used to squash freedom of speech". By contrast, the managing editor of the "Vincentian" newspaper (a self-proclaimed "close political ally" of the Prime Minister) described such lawsuits as a check on "irresponsible speech". ¶6. (C) Echoing what PolOffs have heard from contacts in civil society, Friday continued by citing the "heavy handed approach of the police", and senior NDP leader Linton Lewis claimed to have several clients who have been beaten by police. Friday noted a general "suspicion of the police in SVG" and emphasized the police force's lack of professionalism, while Lewis claimed the force makes promotions "based on political allegiance". Friday and the other NDP leaders questioned the independence of the judiciary, mentioning that the magistrate in the PM rape case allegedly refused to hear the case out of fear of losing his job (Sylvester told us separately the judge had admitted as much to her personally). In closing, Friday stated, "a lot of people in our society are giving up hope that you can have justice in St. Vincent and the Grenadines". Grim Economic Outlook -------------- ¶7. (U) Prime Minister Gonsalves has been quick to point out that the IMF has projected real GDP growth for St. Vincent and the Grenadines at 4.4% in 2007 and 6.2% in 2008. Despite receiving such good marks from both the IMF and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB),local businessmen and a wide range of Embassy contacts outside government are gravely concerned about the state of the economy. Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace noted that GDP growth is almost entirely fueled by capital improvements, adding that there is a lack of commodities production in SVG. According to World Bank statistics, whereas in 2000 (just before Gonsalves was first elected) exports comprised 53 percent of GDP in the country, by 2006 they were only 44 percent. ¶8. (C) One of St. Vincent's chief exporters, the Eastern Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC),which runs a flour mill and exports flour and animal feed, is struggling mightily, largely due to government price controls on wheat products. PM Gonsalves has indicated that he intends to sell off the government's 20 percent stake in the company, which is the country's second largest exporter behind the banana industry. Marketing Manager (and former President of the SVG Chamber of Commerce) Martin Laborde told PolOffs that there has only been one price increase for flour in St. Vincent since 2004 (a 12 percent increase),and the price of flour in SVG is now lower than the cost of wheat. Lamenting that "as I speak we are losing money," Laborde criticized the short-sightedness of the governments in the region in implementing price controls in an attempt to ease the burden of the rising cost of living. Noting that CARICOM heads of government recently discussed adding even more price controls, Laborde did praise countries such as St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis, who subsidize the flour and increase the controlled price "from time to time." The "College Kid" Financial Plan -------------- ¶9. (C) Remarkably, in many meetings with government contacts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines' financial planning appears to closely mirror the kind of plan you might expect from a kid in college, with a heavy emphasis on remittances, debt forgiveness, and scholarships. In a completely serious tone, Kirby Jackson of the Searchlight newspaper praised the Prime Minister for his ability to continually acquire more scholarships for Vincentian students from foreign governments, such as during the PM's recent trip to Turkey. Jackson noted that largely due to scholarships secured by the PM, the country has a surplus of about 60 trained nurses, all of whom have moved to the United States. He also estimated that between 200 and 300 Vincentians are studying abroad on government scholarships, and noted that remittances are a major percentage of GNP (estimates range from 22 to as high as 30 percent). Minister of Tourism Glen Beache reinforced the "college kid" planning mentality when he casually mentioned that they "hope" to attract a high-end brand-name resort to the island such as the Ritz-Carlton, but offered no specifics as to what steps the government is taking to attract investment. He also seemed to take no interest in reaching out to yacht tourists (a primary tourism earner) who have been put off by a recent spate of yacht robberies in St. Vincent moorings, preferring to leave the job to unspecified "PR people" in New York. ¶10. (C) While one government contact praised the Prime Minister for recently securing debt forgiveness from the Italian government for over $56 million USD (relating to funding of the Ottley Hall ship-repair facility),Eustace pointed out that the government is projected to borrow $45 million USD in 2008, thus negating the potential benefits of the write-off. He further mentioned that the government is beginning to borrow most of its money from private banks instead of from the international community - at much higher rates. Greens leader Ivan O'Neal told PolOffs that in seven years in office, Gonsalves has borrowed over $260 million USD. O'Neal, a trained economist, opined that the country's growth rate is largely "based on imports and government expenditures". In addition, several contacts pointed out that in an effort to raise money to pay for the government's ever-growing capital expenditures (especially for an ill-advised airport project),the government has begun to promote the sale of previously sacrosanct crown lands, especially in the Grenadines. Drug Trade Thrives -------------- ¶11. (C) According to contacts in both of the opposition political parties, the local drug trade is the only industry not slowing down in SVG. Linton Lewis of the NDP dramatically compared the situation to the 1980s in Colombia, where the Medellins controlled much of society. Lewis cited a recent case in which an accused drug dealer was able to flee the country by lawfully obtaining a copy of his birth certificate and a passport. In Lewis's opinion, the "United States government should give more attention to narco-trafficking" in SVG, and suggested that the USG could pursue a crop-substitution program such as the one used in Bolivia. Eustace and Lewis estimated that the drug trade could account for as much as $100 million dollars, (around 10 percent of GDP),and that around 5,000 young people are believed to be working in the marijuana fields of St. Vincent - somewhat offsetting the 30 percent unemployment in the country. ¶12. (C) The SVG Green Party's President Ivan O'Neal posited that a new cross-country road, currently under construction with Taiwanese funds, could further open up the ganja trade in St. Vincent, allowing quick and easy access to both coasts from the northern interior, where most ganja is cultivated (Note: St. Vincent is widely recognized as the primary and highest-quality source of marijuana consumed in the eastern Caribbean. End note.) O'Neal blamed much of the downturn in St. Vincent's agricultural economy on the shift to marijuana cultivation, estimating that marijuana could account for as much as 40% of the island's agriculture. He noted that agricultural production in SVG has plummeted from 37 million USD to 3.3 million USD a year; however, instead of blaming this downturn on the loss of preferences and the perceived wrongdoings of the USG towards the region in the "banana wars" of the 1990s, O'Neal instead blames bad management and the shift to the drug trade. COMMENT -------------- ¶13. (C) More than one contact noted during this trip that there may be a "need for regional security intervention" in St. Vincent soon. A British-born restaurateur said he was in the region during the 1983 US-led "intervention" in Grenada and that he saw many parallels between that situation and the current one in SVG. Whereas on previous reporting trips Embassy contacts have refrained from speculating about any potential for violence or civil unrest in St. Vincent, several contacts told PolOffs for the first time that political violence could become a possibility if the economic situation on the ground continues to deteriorate and the political situation continues to ossify. While some of the talk is clearly hyperbole born of frustration, it is becoming increasingly clear that Gonsalves is dividing the country, alienating the private and civil sectors, turning a blind eye to drug production, and running his economy into the ground with outmoded Socialist/Populist demagoguery. Scholarships and price-controlled bread might carry him to the next election (if a growing list of rape charges doesn't force him out sooner),but the long-term prospects for political and economic development for St. Vincent look pretty bleak right now. Some irony, for a country that simultaneously boasts the most exclusive high-end resort on the planet - Mustique, at around $10,000 a night. End Comment. SMOLIK