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   LABOUR ANNOUNCES LORNE THEOPHILUS FOR CHOISEUL/SALTIBUS

The Saint Lucia Labour Party is pleased to announce Mr. Lorne D. C. Theophillus as its endorsed candidate to contest the Choiseul/Saltibus seat in the upcoming General Elections.

Thirty-nine year old Lorne is the son of George Theophillus, a former Eastern Caribbean Central Bank economist and current managing director of Financial Investment and Consultancy Services and his wife Lusca, a former educator. Lorne had his early education at the Sans Soucis Government School (now the Carmen Renee School) from where he moved to St. Mary’s College and thereafter to Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. He pursued a law degree at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies from where he proceeded to the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

Lorne was called to the OECS Bar in 1995 and promptly set up a private practice. His reputation as a sound attorney has grown with each passing day and during his years at the bar has successfully represented many high profile clients. He now heads the law firm Theophillus, Pierre and Mondesir. Lorne has also served as legal advisor to The Mabouya Valley Development Co.; The St. Lucia Coconut Growers Association and The St Lucia Cadet Corps

An avid sportsman, Lorne was House Captain at Saint Mary’s College and was voted Athlete of the Year in 1987. At the University of the West Indies he was just as outstanding, with records in the long jump and triple jump disciplines still standing in his name. He also represented Saint Lucia in track and field and has been a member of the Legends Track and Field Club; Le Club Volleyball team and High Point Volleyball team.

His competitive days over, Lorne continued to give back to sports as an administrator serving as Chairman of Sports Saint Lucia Inc. and Chairman of Cricket World Cup 2007.

Lorne has also been extremely active in the youth movement and was a member of the Saint Mary’s College Youth Council between 1985 and 1987; a member of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College’s Student Council between 1987 and 1989 and the National Youth Council in 1988.

A staunch catholic Lorne is a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He is also a Captain in the St. Lucia Cadet Corps which he joined in 1982.

Lorne is married to the former Paula Modeste and the couple has three children; two girls and one boy.

The Saint Lucia Labour Party has every confidence that Lorne D. C Theophillus is exactly the type of representative the people of Choiseul/Saltibus require to restore their pride so battered over the past four years and we are confident that whenever the General Elections are called Lorne will emerge victorious.

   Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Sir Dwight Venner, has defended the decision of the members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to peg their local currency to the United States dollar more than three decades ago.

The Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar has been pegged to the US dollar for the past 34 years at a rate of EC2.70 to US$1.00.

In an interview marking the 27th anniversary of the ECCB, Sir Dwight said maintaining the stability of the currency in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Montsrerat, St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla had been a tremendous achievement for the sub-region.

“The credibility of the currency has meant that we attract foreign investment because people have felt they can bring money in because they can take it out at the same value,” he said, adding that domestic savers also know “the value of their currency is stable and therefore they are not tempted to export capital”

Sir Dwight said another positive aspect of pegging the EC dollar to the United States currency is the fact that the islands have all pooled their foreign reserves “and the pool has been kept at very high levels.

“So we have averaged around 100 per cent backing of the currency the legal limit is 60, and the operational level is 80 per cent and we have been way above those and so people know that we have foreign exchange backing so that we can defend the currency.”

The Central Bank governor said he is confident that the sub-region would maintain the exchange rate and that an alternative arrangement to what currently exists “would not suit us the way we have evolved as a currency union

“Our issue has to do with an anchor and certainty in an environment where not many things other things are certain,” he said, noting that the first aim of the St. Kitts based ECCB “is to maintain the stability of the currency.

“Other islands in the region have departed from fixed pegs and have taken a very long time to get back into equilibrium. It would not be good for us if we came off that path and so a major policy objective both for the bank as the regional monetary authority and the individual countries is to really ensure that that peg remains as it is”.

He said the stability of the currency was among many policy initiatives taken by the sub-region to deal with the current global economic and financial crisis.

“Could you imagine in the middle of all this we had a currency that was declining in value that would just compound the problem. So we are well cushioned with the backing of the currency ...I am reasonably confident that we can maintain the peg.”

He said that while there current global recession should end by

Also this recession though prolonged should by the end by 2011 the ECCU had no intention of becoming complacent noting “the people who will be successful are taking the opportunity of increasing their efficiency of spreading their reach to make sure that they can float into this new period successfully.

“Some of us are just waiting for things to get better,” he added.

During the interview, Sir Dwight said that following the collapse of the West Indian Federation in the 1960s, the ECCU found itself in a “constitutional limbo” as many of the bigger Caribbean countries moved into independence.

But he said that with the move by the sub-region themselves to pool their resources despite attaining political independence has lead to those countries setting the benchmark for regional integration.

“We have surprised a lot of people by just being here and now there are tremendous opportunities given the steps we have taken to respond to the crisis to move to another level which is what the Economic Union gives us.

“We have the opportunity of forming a very unique political and economic arrangement in the Eastern Caribbean which a lot of people are looking at with interest. I think we really have to take this opportunity to show the rest of the world what it means sticking together, being innovative and having a vision t,” he said, adding “and if we keep or raise our game we can do a lot more”.

   The St. Lucia government met in an emergency session on Wednesday after heavy overnight rains left an estimated 100 houses under water in the rural village of Dennery, east of here.
Aerial view of the flood damage in the east
coast village of Dennery.

Acting Prime Minister Leonard Montoute said that a special task force had been appointed to deal with the situation.

The area has already been declared a disaster zone but there are no reports of deaths or injuries..

“The preliminary assessment is that some 80 to 100 homes are totally submerged in Dennery resulting in a number of people having to be evacuated to emergency shelters,” he said, noting that the Red Cross and other rescue officials are now providing assistance to people in the affected area.

He said that police are providing security for public building like schools and also the private homes that were evacuated.

“We have also dispatched a technical team…to go into the communities to ascertain what are the immediate dangers and needs,” he said.

The heavy rains have been linked to the unsettle conditions associated with the broad area of low pressure that is also causing similar weather patterns in neighbouring Caribbean islands.

   

The journey to Miss World continues for St Lucia’s young lady of the moment Aiasha Gustave. St Lucia’s Miss World representative spoke to the STAR on her eighteenth birthday on Tuesday, October 5 saying the experience was unbelievable and she was having a ball!

Arriving to China she says was somewhat challenging with all her luggage “as you can imagine the weight per case,” she said laughing. But as soon as she arrived to the Beijing Friendship Hotel Aiasha describes the chaperons who greeted her as amazing.

“They helped me quite quickly and organized my room,” she said. “ I was put into a group with other countries; all beautiful, friendly, outgoing girls. As soon as I got into the room I was greeted with a gift from my roommate Miss Romania.”

From there it was a host of rehearsals, fittings, video and photo shoots and unforgettable outings. From Aiasha’s account, the most memorable thus far was a trip to the Great Wall of China.

“I started to cry while on the Wall because I knew that moment was a once in a lifetime chance,” Aiasha said. “I probably would have not been able to visit it prior to entering Miss World. Apart from the breath taking view, you really appreciate the work and time that was put in to making such a magnificent structure and you respect the people and culture and more so life, even more. It was a spiritual uplift for me.”

A trip to the world renowned Bird’s Nest Stadium followed where Aiasha admits tearing up as well. The stadium is most noted for hosting Olympics.

“I was just in awe of the amazing architecture and the reality of seeing it on TV and being there in person,” she said.

On her birthday on Tuesday Aiasha and the other contestants flew to Ordos Mongolia and on Wednesday, October 6 they arrived to Shanghai, China where the competition will be staged.

“How amazing is that, to spend your 18th in Mongolia?” Aiasha told the STAR this week, undoubtedly enjoying every moment of her trip, still in preparation mode for the big event.

To vote for Aiasha Gustave as your Miss World favourite log onto missosology.org, scroll to the bottom of the page and cast your vote!