PRIME MINISTER
The Honourable Baldwin Spencer

NATIONAL ADDRESS

SUNDAY 23 MAY, 2004

My fellow Antiguans and Barbudans;

Residents and Friends:

To mark my first month as your Prime Minister, I spoke to the nation in a national television and radio address on the evening of the 23rd April.

As my leadership reaches the 60-day mark, I thought that I would report to the nation tonight.

As we move into the third month of your mandate, we continue to grapple with the debris to which the previous administration has reduced virtually every mechanism of government.

We continue to uncover documentation confirming that the regime that ruled this country up to the 23rd of March seemed to have little purpose other than the enrichment of favoured insiders.

We continue to discover evidence establishing the extent to which an uniquely inept and notoriously corrupt ruling elite routinely wronged the Antiguan and Barbudan people.

In the face of perpetual boasts that Antigua and Barbuda is far better off than every other country of the sub region, we have been finding out just how dismal was this country's neglect not only of its citizens, but also its shameful delinquency in settling long overdue debts to the OECS and to CARICOM; as well as to a number of other international organisations.

At meetings of CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean State, this month, I gave firm assurances that henceforth, Antigua and Barbuda would be meticulous in honouring our obligations to these organizations.

We are working unceasingly to restore the pride of the Antiguan and Barbudan people and to improve our country's standing among the nations of the region and the world.

You will be pleased to know that Antigua and Barbuda scored very high marks with the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and their delegations who attended the meeting of the CARICOM Bureau of Heads in our capital city early this month.

A glowing tribute from the Secretary General of CARICOM makes special reference to our warm hospitality and the excellent arrangements for the first such meeting to have been hosted at the Office of the Prime Minister here in Antigua.

I must, in turn, express my own appreciation of the warmth with which other Caribbean Heads of Government have welcomed the Chief Servant of the Antiguan and Barbudan people into their ranks.

I must also express my heartfelt appreciation to the Antiguan and Barbudan people for giving visitors to our shores an experience that someone has described to me as an indelible memory of "Smiles and Sunshine on every face in what feels like a brand new place".

I must, as well, express my heartfelt gratitude to the Antiguan and Barbudan people for your appreciation of the challenges your government faces, as we work to right the wrongs that are so long embedded and so widespread in our country.

You have been generous in your support of the measures we are taking to right the wrongs in our society, and to improve the services we deliver to the national community.

I am particularly heartened by the initiative of a number of our public spirited citizens to improve the facilities at Holberton Hospital.

I am also greatly encouraged by the impressive level of volunteer support for the national Cleanup that had been planned to go into operation yesterday.

Related to this, the Government will take tough anti-litter measures to Parliament next month.
In the brief period of the United Progressive Party's first term in government, a number of our bedrock ideals have already become embedded in governance in Antigua and Barbuda.

After just sixty days, consultation, participation and inclusion are manifestly embedded policies of your government.

The appointment of the Member of Parliament for Barbuda, the Honourable Trevor Walker, to ministerial office, is a historic case in point.

The landmark Ecclesiastical Consultation is a recent example of this flowering of participatory democracy in our nation.

The Ecclesiastical Consultation was the first of a series of Consultations in which I propose to engage key sectors of civil society on the partnership between the Government and the people that will take Antigua and Barbuda to the next level.

The Millennium Naturalisation Bill, which the Attorney General tabled in the House of Representatives last week, is a major advance in national cohesion and inclusion in our plural society.

After just sixty days, transparency in the conduct of the people's affairs is already manifestly embedded in your government.

After just sixty days, accountability in the conduct of the people's affairs is already manifestly embedded in your government.

After just sixty days, integrity in the conduct of the people's affairs is already manifestly embedded in your government.

In this context, a month ago, I served notice on my Ministers and on other UPP parliamentarians that they are required to report, and list as the property of the state, all gifts from individuals, organisations, and foreign governments which exceed US$500 in value.

It is an extraordinary aberration that apart from the lion sculptures at the western entrance to the Prime Minister's office, there is no trace in any government office of any of the many valuable gifts that friendly governments and Heads of State and Government must have intended as tributes to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

Were it not for the vigilance of those courageous patriots who surrounded the Office of the Prime Minister, when the clean-out of government property was in progress on Saturday night the before the March 23rd elections, the fork lift and the flatbed truck that were in the evacuation fleet that night, would quite likely have carted off those two lions to the private estate of some former senior public official.

It is my intention that all gifts of meaningful value that other governments present to my Ministers will not only be properly designated as property of the state, but will also go on public display at a designated time, every year.

Antigua and Barbuda has been crippled by the seemingly genetic inability of the dynasty that ruled this country up to Judgment Day, two months ago, to recognize any line between what was government property and what was the politician's.

It seems that once they could get their hands on it, politicians in the former government treated all public possessions as their personal property.

Those days, thank God, are finally, past.

They must not be allowed to return.

To this end, we have integrity and anti-corruption legislation ready for Parliament
We will have draft Freedom of Information legislation ready for public consultations within the next thirty days.

The first word in the vocabulary of every person holding public office in this country, and every person doing business with members and representatives of the government of this country must henceforth be Accountability.

Fellow Citizens; Residents:

As we continue to probe the dealings of various state agents, agencies and institutions which seemed to have been accountable to no one, we are uncovering an avalanche of evidence of the misconduct of former government officials.

CHAPA appears to have been the centre of a feeding frenzy for unprincipled politicians and their families and accomplices.

You have heard of the plunder at the St. John's Port.

You know about the massive expenditure on an incomplete Mount. St. John.

You know of the Hundreds of Millions of debts owed to state agencies and statutory authorities.

You know of the unchecked appropriation of crown lands by former senior government officials.
You have heard disclosures about the sluice gates through which public funds flowed into private pockets at ABS.

You have been hearing about the brazen daily outpourings on radio by individuals who should now be wearing sack cloth and ashes in public rituals of atonement for their sins against the Antiguan and Barbudan people.

The quagmire of corruption through which the Sunshine Government has to navigate a new political culture is matched by the chaos from which the government now has to try to create order.

You have heard of the outlandish Job Training scheme.

How in heaven's name can you have people on a Job Training programme for ten years!

The most cynical dimension to the Job Training programme was that it systematically forced people into dependency.

This was particularly cruel to vulnerable senior citizens.

It is impossible to escape the conclusion that members of the disgraced dynasty that ruled this country for half a century were genetically incapable of playing straight or having a conscience in dealing with the Antiguan and Barbudan people.

Citizens, Residents and Friends:

In last month's address to the nation, I indicated that where the efforts and expertise required to effectively investigate the misdeeds of public officials and their accomplices were beyond the capacities of our investigative agencies, the government would mobilise relevant resources, internationally.

I meant what I said.

I have authorised the mobilisation of such resources.

An international firm of investigative and forensic accountants, led by the internationally known Robert Lindquist, is now probing the illicit conduct of members of the regime that ruled Antigua and Barbuda up to two months ago.

You would no doubt be aware that Mr. Lindquist's investigations led to criminal charges, last week, against two former ministers of the Trinidad and Tobago Government.

Mr. Lindquist's investigations also led to criminal charges against other former public officials, as well as a number of prominent Trinidad and Tobago businessmen.

You may also be aware that Mr. Lindquist's investigations have reportedly followed substantial sums of money through an intricate trail around the globe, to locate well over EC$50 Million, to which the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is laying claim.

I expect Mr. Lindquist to be just as effective in tracing money illicitly diverted from the Antigua and Barbuda Treasury to line the pockets of former high Government officials.

A key objective in commissioning the Lindquist investigations is to find the money and other assets that former government officials have improperly amassed and return them to the Antiguan and Barbudan people.

As we go after the white collar, high flying criminals, some of whom will no doubt be attempting to flee the country, the society is faced with an incoming wave of convicted criminals that the United States government is deporting to Caribbean countries.

According to information provided by immigration authorities, the United States sent close to sixty ex-cons to Antigua in less than a year.

The US has deported hundreds of convicted felons to other West Indian countries.

There will be no barrier to their movement across the region when the Caribbean single Market comes into full effect.

This mandates serious review of Antigua and Barbuda's immigration and passport policies.

We have to begin by removing the contrived separation of these two functions of government.

That separation facilitated all sorts of malpractice, including the sale of Antigua and Barbuda passports.

The sale of this country's passports will not continue.

Antigua and Barbuda passports are no longer for sale.

The separation between the immigration and passport departments might have contributed to the

Columbia-Jolly Beach-English Harbour connection which has triggered angry protests from local contractors.

This is yet another problem that is the legacy of the recently defeated dynasty.

It is now inescapable that we have no option but to review all projects in process over the transition from the last administration to my administration.

I have been severely critical of Mr. Allen Stanford.

As Labour Minister, I am concerned at some of the things that are being reported about his organisation's handling of its labour force.

I must, however, again applaud Mr. Stanford on his voluntary offer to submit all the agreements he entered into with the previous government for review by my Government.

This country's biggest single investor also readily agreed to submit his proposal for the acquisition of the Dato Tan Asian Village project to Civil society.

Other investors should have no problem with similar reviews.

Nonetheless, I shall ask the Attorney General to prepare legislative measures to mandate the review of all major projects and significant land transfers to which the government of Antigua and Barbuda was a signatory over the last ten years.

One long-standing contract now under review is the agreement giving West Indies Oil Company a monopoly on the import of fuels.

The company is set to increase the price of gasolene.

I have intervened in an attempt to protect the population from the hardship that will result from any increase in the price of gas and other fuels.

To this end, I will meet with the principals of the West Indies Oil Company over the next forty-eight hours.

In an effort to explore alternative energy sources, I met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at his residence in Port of Spain yesterday.

Prime Minister Manning was sympathetic to Antigua and Barbuda's position and our discussions were encouraging.

Citizens; Residents; Friends:

In spite of the challenges facing us, arrangements are underway for the introduction of the annual School Uniform Grants and the Free School Meals programmes this year.

We have no choice but to move as swiftly as possible to unshackle Antigua and Barbuda from the plunder and the blunders of our predecessors.

We are keeping faith with our Agenda for Change, which the nation so overwhelmingly endorsed in the elections.

We are keeping our promises.

One of those promises is that public servants will be paid on time.

I am happy to confirm that our public servants will again be paid on time this month.

As I conclude, I must express my gratitude at the performance of the members of my Cabinet.

Though lacking in experience in government; though faced with a horrendous mess in virtually every ministry, my Ministers have all been turning in sterling performances.

Members of other governments with whom our Ministers have been inter-acting endorse this view.

We are all on a steep learning curve.

We will, in partnership with the people, shape a society whose members will all enjoy better lives.

Thank you, fellow citizens and residents and friends.

May God continue to generously bless our beloved Antigua and Barbuda and all who dwell in our two islands, and all who come to visit us.