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March2006.qxd 4/3/06 8:11 PM Page 1 PRESORTED MARCH 2006 STANDARD ® U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Tel: (305) 238-2868 1-800-605-7516 [email protected] We cover your world Vol. 17 No. 4 [email protected] ~ Portia Simpson Miller has made history by becoming the first woman elected president of the Haitians went to the polls last People’s National Party (PNP) in Jamaica; and is month, and when the results set to become the first female prime minister of the were finally made public Rene Préval was elected Caribbean island as well, page 2. president of the troubled Caribbean nation to replace his mentor Jean-Bertand Aristide, who had been forced to flee the country in Feb. 2004, page 7. Lionel Tate guilty, faces prison again ~ The troubled teenaged son of a Caribbean-born law Coach Leo Beenhakker took Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca enforcement officer Warriors” to South Florida last in Florida could be month as part of preparations behind bars for for their historic berth in this summer’s soccer World Cup in many years after Germany. The training camp pleading guilty to was intended to identify possi- armed robbery, ble additions to the squad for upcoming matches, including page 23. the game’s biggest showpiece tournament, page 24 INSIDE News. .2 Food . .12 Health . .. 21 Region . .28 Feature . .7 Arts/Entertainment . .16 Sport . 24 Viewpoint . .9 Financial Planning . .19 Transport and Cargo . 25 March2006.qxd 4/3/06 8:11 PM Page 2 2 CARIBBEAN TODAY March 2006 www.caribbeantoday.com NEWS Portia takes PNP power MEET PORTIA SIMPSON MILLER GORDON WILLIAMS enough, despite the generous to the historic significance JAMAICA’S P.M.DESIGNATE embrace in victory by of the evening, a PNP in tran- Date of birth: Dec. 12, 1945. Hobbies: Music, reading, horse- Simpson Miller, coupled with sition which would look to he day after Portia back riding and sports. her outstretched attempts at future battles with the main Simpson Miller grabbed Education: St. Martin’s High reconciliation to unify the Opposition Jamaica Labour Thold of the reins of the School; Union Institute and Politics: More than three PNP following a testy cam- Party also boasting new lead- People’s National Party - the University of Miami, where she decades. Served as a councilor paign. ership. Patterson told the first time in history a woman earned a bachelor of arts degree in the Kingston and St. Andrew “Now it’s time for unity, crowd that the winner would had moved to the helm of in public administration; Jamaica Corporation. Member of and if there are wounds to be lead the PNP and, in the next Jamaica’s ruling party and the Institute of Management/ Parliament for South West St. healed, it’s time for healing,” few weeks, become prime fourth PNP president ever - the University of California Berkeley, Andrew since 1976. Has served she said in her victory speech minister when he officially streets of the Caribbean nation where she received a certificate as People’s National Party vice delivered to a wildly cheering steps from that post. He also appeared generally hushed. in advanced management; president and president of the audience. took the responsibility of On a bright Sunday morn- Harvard’s executive program for PNP Women’s Movement. Simpson had been ush- announcing the election ing, few seemed stung by the leaders in development at the excitement of the events that John F. Kennedy School of Government: Has held the had transpired the night Government. Cabinet posts of minister of labor before, which sent the island welfare and sport, minister of nation hurtling towards a new Family: Married to Errald Miller, tourism and sport, minister of era in politics, and even fewer former head of Cable and local government, community found the election results Wireless in Jamaica. development and sport. worth laboring over. “Everybody did dun ® know Portia did a guh win,” a man told his friend as the not about me. I’m just the the new PNP leader the crowd two talked along Knutsford messenger. I am the vessel. I erupted, dancing, singing, Boulevard in Kingston’s am the servant.” shouting and spraying beer, uptown business district. However, the process soft drinks and juices high into For years popularity polls which launched her into the the night air. had prepared Jamaicans for a PNP’s leadership was not Yet if the PNP, particular- possible win by Simpson Miller, entirely smooth. Voting start- ly Simpson Miller’s support- despite her facing a battery of ed that morning at a local high ers, could not restrain their three other candidates all school and ended with the jubilation, by the following boasting superior academic cre- counting of ballots at the PNP day the rest of the nation was dentials and the all-too-familiar HQ later in the afternoon. already soberly looking to gender quotient, oft repeated Some delegates, many who business as usual. Even on Dr. Peter Phillips, left, who finished second in the PNP leadership race, congratulates traveled overnight from all election day, a local track and points of debate throughout the winner Simpson Miller. the campaign leading up to the across the island, complained field meet, barley a mile away Feb. 25 party election brought bitterly of not being allowed from the PNP HQ, had drawn on by the impending retire- to cast their vote. One a sizeable crowd far more ment of long time PNP ered onto the packed despondent delegate, who interested in baton changes, President and Prime Minister stage in full yellow to came from Westmoreland in fast times and school loyalty P.J. Patterson. the beat of Shaggy’s the western end of the island, than party politics. It is that The margin of her victory, “Strength Of A told Caribbean Today that group, the Jamaican wider securing 1,775 of the 3,808 Woman”, and she when he first tried to vote he public which polls repeatedly votes cast by PNP delegates, vowed to draw on was told that his name was not show is caring less and less for was hardly surprising either. that force to bridge on the list, although, he said, political wranglings, which Finance Minister Dr. Omar the party divide he had been properly regis- Simpson Miller will now have Davies, who earned 283 votes opened by campaign tered, ”picture tek and all.” to focus on. from his “Prosperity” cam- jostling. He was advised to return later That was not lost on the paign; and former Minister Dr. “I come to you in the day as he would be part new PNP leader, who somehow Karl Blythe (204) had been with a promise of of the substitute’s list. But found the fresh legs to run a viewed by Jamaicans as long hope as we will con- when he did that, he was told victory lap at the National shots to relieve Patterson. tinue the transforma- that his name was not on that Stadium to enthusiastic Davies was viewed as aloof tion of the People’s list either. The elderly man, applause from those attending and at times arrogant; Blythe National Party and a clothes soiled by the dusty the Gibson Relays. For her, had long left the PNP Cabinet promise of hope that grounds, slumped into a chair, and Jamaica, the real race may tagged to a scandal involving a all of us will unite to near tears, under a tree which have just started. A Sunday government housing agency. work for a better and shaded him from the after- morning stroll across Jamaica brighter Jamaica,” Simpson Miller supporters celebrate their candidate's noon sun, but not disappoint- the day after her proudest But Dr. Peter Phillips, cur- victory. rent minister of national secu- she said. ment and frustration. political moment could have rity, was a different proposi- But on a night Yet later, by the time told her as much. tion. He had been viewed by they unabashedly burst into results. That he chose to do it Patterson’s teasing hints as to many political observers, sustained, unbridled joy, many in “alphabetical order” only who would succeed him had Gordon Williams is the man- inside and out of the PNP, as of Simpson Miller’s supporters heightened the crowd’s expec- ignited the crowd, which aging editor of Caribbean the one chosen‚ to succeed refused to immediately forget tations, with the exact total of packed the streets outside the Today news magazine. He Patterson. Yet his “Solid As A the innuendos and “disses” Simpson Miller’s winning tally HQ, word had already spread covered the PNP election in Rock” campaign, burdened by they claimed Phillips’s cam- largely drowned out by thun- that Simpson Miller had Kingston. Jamaica’s spiraling murder paign relied on in attack derous applause marking the secured victory. So the gather- Main cover and page 2 rate which placed the island of against their new party leader. start of a new era. ing was dominated by yellow photographs by Michael just over 2.6 million dubiously As Phillips left the PNP’s St. “Today is a great and his- shirts and waving yellow flags Sloley. atop the list of the world’s Andrew headquarters on elec- toric day for the People’s proclaiming “Team Portia”. worst, eventually crumbled to tion night, he and his cam- National Party and for When Patterson proclaimed ® dust when confronted by paign team were taunted by Jamaica and I thank you for his labor and sport minister “Team Portia”, whose sup- dancing Team Portia support- helping me to write history,” porters seemed eager to shake ers who chanted “Portia, a Simpson Miller would later up the old boys club that long Portia!”, “PhD couldn’t save acknowledge.

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