Caribbean Report 29-06-1990

Abstract

Trinidadian Edwin Carrington, former Secretary-General of the ACP, failed in his controversial bid to become the new Director General of the Centre for Development Industry of the ACP. Following his defeat against Paul Fritz, a Belgium banker, the ACP states also agreed that a geo-national should be appointed Deputy Director of the CDI. Secondly, the US President, George Bush, announced plans to forgive a portion of the $12 billion in debt owed to the United States by Latin American and Caribbean countries. According to the President of the Association of Caribbean Economists, while the US proposal may be a step in the right direction, the initiative by the US does not totally alleviate the debt situation for Caribbean countries. Following the Financial News, a combination of strikes and bad weather threatens Guyana’s ability to meet its sugar quota to the EEC and may result in Guyana losing half of its European quota. The next segment covers the attempt by Guyana’s main opposition party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), to forge an electoral alliance with the three other opposition parties in the country. The leader of the PPP, Cheddi Jagan, expressed his willingness to step down from the presidential race on the condition of being made prime minister of the proposed coalition government. In Surinam, a meeting between the president and the Confederation of Labour Unions to address the current industrial action in the country, ended in deadlock. The report concludes with stories of Caribbean interest appearing in the British press and a sporting segment focusing on the participation of British, German and Canadian track and field athletes in the Dairy Crest Games in England.