CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ------------------------ INSIDE GRENADA TUESDAY May 01,2007 by Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) The very short answer to the question above, could easily be - let us wait and see. And for those of us who have no hands-on authority, or responsibility, or the opportunity to do anything practical to make a difference - we clearly have to just wait and see what the tomorrows will bring. On the other hand and at the same time - that does not mean we have to sit passively by the wayside, and simply swallow whatever is thrown out to us as the answer, or excuses, or the results. Because the legacy from CWC2007 will live on to affect our lives in the Match venue States for a very longtime to come - we definitely have a duty to seek out and ensure, as nearly as it is possible, that the answers we will get, and the rationale for what did or did not happen, and even the figures that will be published, are reasonable and realistic and capable of understanding and acceptance. And we must undertake that duty, if and for no other reason but to better equip ourselves as a people - not to make the same mistakes again. Looking back at the build up to CWC, regardless of what those in charge and in control may say, it is very easy to see that a whole chunk of the vast expenditures undertaken were not necessary, and will make no difference whatsoever to whatever benefits that may flow from the events. And what is also dis-heartening, in retrospect, is that those who were incurring huge debts, and or soliciting so-called free gifts from the Chinese and others in exchange for diplomatic recognition - simply to show the Region and the World at large that we have the best Stadium facilities - they recklessly ignored all the pleas for caution, and due diligence, and reasonable management, and a common sense approach to a mammoth extravaganza that we simply could not handle in all the given circumstances. And needless for me to say, we are now left with a massive white, or Chinese Elephant, that will be a drain on our meagre resources to maintain at an acceptable standard, or to even insure against possible natural disasters. If the Stadium in St. George’s is to be utilised for all the many activities suggested by the WICB, and repeated by our Prime Minister as possible alternatives to fully utilize the potential contained therein - then I fail to see how any responsible Government can even begin to promote such uses without having adequate Insurance coverage in place, not only for the Building itself, but also for the occupiers or public liability for the users. And as for the one game (Test or ODI) each of the many Match Venue States can look forward to per year - when there is a touring Team in the Region - that can hardly pay for the cleaning, and keeping the grounds in good shape to qualify for a game. But all the foregoing notwithstanding, the Matches all took place and at the end of the day - in spite of the weather disruption in Barbados - the final went off to bring the curtains down on CWC2007; and the firm favourites Australia, won convincingly as was always expected - congrats to Ponting and his very commendable Team. As for Gilchrist and his performance - I very much doubt there is anyone on the Cricket horizon, who can match that onslaught on Bowlers of the calibre of the Sri Lankan lot. It was truly awesome, and will remain in the memory of those who saw it, wherever they were, for a very long time to come. And to think some over-ambitious and super optimistic persons, were actually saying that West Indies could have won the World Cup at home for the first time as hosts. I thought the statement was a big joke then, and in the events which have happened it now sounds ludicrous. Where that lot go from here on as a Team, will clearly depend on the decisions made by the WICB and their advisers in the days and weeks ahead -but I will leave that for the time being to try and work itself out. All the Match Venue States have serious questions to answer for the parts they played in CWC2007 - some far more than others, because of their obviously well-known short-comings and on-going problems, apart from the few games they had to prepare for and implement. Our own administrators here in Grenada, must be in the forefront of those with serious additional problems, needing solutions to national issues. The National Stadium itself was a so-called gift from Mainland China to Grenada, and supposedly cost us nothing in terms of hard cash. The Government’s expenditure had to do with supporting and surrounding facilities from the Airport to the roads and bridges nearer the Stadium. Whether those expenditures were justified, in the short or long term, only time will truly tell - but in the meantime it is more than obvious, that all the propaganda promises of great benefits from the World Cup have remained just that - over inflated promises. Mr. Malcolm Speed of the ICC has repeated time and time again, how much progress Grenada has made since “Ivan” and that we should be proud of the Super Stadium provided. How that will help our slowly dying economy and thousands of longstanding un-employed Youths - he did not say. I saw and listened to the Prime Minister, when he made his National broadcast soon after the last game in Grenada, and he was very far from convincing in what he was saying, and he clearly did not look enthusiastic and up-beat about the sentiments he was expressing. And with the happenings and movements lately surrounding the allegations touching and concerning himself and his Deputy Prime Minister Gregory Bowen - I can well understand why the low key appearance. The Opposition and protests against the proposal to sell or long-lease Crown Lands in the National Parks areas, will not go away over-night. And the group of persons who have already entered whatever agreement - to acquire those lands for so-called development purposes in the South of the Island - had better think again, because it would not be the plain and peaceful sailing expected. In the U.S.A. Court proceedings, in New York and Boston - involving Gregory Bowen and Grynberg, and the Prime Minister and Resteiner and the illusive video tape - the heat is getting hotter, and the legal fees from the highly-priced Firm of Lawyers in New York, are going up and up with each un-expected Court appearance. The latest appearance in the Boston Court, to oppose the deposition by Resteiner, and the release of the video from St. Moritz in Switzerland - allegedly showing con-man Resteiner handing over a Vuiton Briefcase to the Prime Minister with $500,000.00 U.S. in $100.00 notes, to the Court in New York, where Grynberg is claiming hundred of Millions of U.S. dollars against Bowen and his Russian co-conspirators - raises a whole lot of questions pertaining to credibility and honesty. As one concerned reader of this column put it to me - if there was no Briefcase being handed over to the Prime Minister on that fateful day in St. Moritz, there cannot be a video showing that scenario. And since, according to the Prime Minister, he was simply handed about $15,000.00 (U.S.) And there was no Briefcase involved - then the said video will fully exonerate him and bring the curtains down on the Cheltenham Commission of Inquiry. I agreed. By my reliable information, is that our Treasury in Grenada has already paid the New York Lawyers who are representing Deputy Prime Minister Bowen, over One Million U.S. Dollars to try and block the release of that “Video” to the Court hearing the Grynberg bribery claim against Bowen and others. So who is fooling whom, and for what reason? And all this time, the Country and people getting nothing from all these Gas and Oil resources we hearing so much about - and the Millions shown by documentary evidence to have been paid to Government officials, for whatever purpose, remain state secret among the big boys. The National Debt must be nearer Two Billion dollars by now - because some Millions were added from expenditures dealing with Projects for the World Cup. The crowds have all gone back to wherever, from some pleasant days here in Grenada - but what have we got to show for it and where do we go from here? Big rally and celebrations and what have you, have been planned in recognition of the tremendous success of the Super Eight games played in Grenada from April 10th to the 20th. But what is here to celebrate about and recognise with more expenditure? The CSME we used to hear so much about a year or so ago, is now on the back burner, or so it seems from the silence about it. The duties we are losing at the Customs are supposed to be replaced by VAT come October this year - but the success of VAT depends on valuable imports that will attract the Tax at the same Customs. And now that we are into a Single Market, that allows our partners goods to come in duty free - what have we got to sell to the same partners to benefit from duty free entry into their Customs? And in another two months or so, a couple thousand Students leaving Schools Island-wide will be joining the Labour Market in search of jobs - what is in store or planned for them? The Volunteer programme for the World Cup was one thing, and did provide valuable training for the participants; but for those who were un-employed, and gave their services freely for the occasion, to whom do they turn to for employment - to put their training to the test? From whatever angle one is tempted to view the situation, there are many more questions than answers. And one answer that cannot be paraded - is that we must sit back and wait for that major Tourist boom that was predicted, as a spin off from the World-wide T/V promotion the Caribbean received. The weeks and months ahead are not going to be easy to face and survive.