THE PAN-AFRIKAN LIBERATOR

Following are the texts of two interviews. The first is a continuation (from last month's issue) of the interview with Frank Savage, governor of Montserrat.

The second is with Richard Kinchin, head of the regional secretariat in Barbados.

The questions were prepared and presented to the governor for his choice and approval before the final copy was taped and aired on the program, "Government and People."

Everything said here by the governor was well thought out before it was answered. We suggest that you take time to analyze these interviews as we believe they have far reaching implications for the people of the land.

(Q)It has been felt that the british aid programme is taking a long time to reach the ground in Montserrat. Can you do anything to improve this?

(A)Well, not agreeing with your statement, I wasn't here so I'm not really competent to comment on that.

There have been a number of developments in the very recent past which lead me to expect that aid packages will be agreed, will come on stream more quickly than perhaps you have indicated in the past.

In the recent past, since hurricane hugo, I suppose the delay was quite natural.

There is an immediate amount of aid for humanitarian causes, I think 3 or 4 million pounds to start getting things back together.

The royal marines and the wick ship came in and did a lot of ? work but the actual reconstruction package I suppose, quite naturally, took a year to eighteen months to define, to decide what needed to be done and I think with so much having to be done in such a period of time I think some of the projects have possibly suffered, have probably stretched out longer than Montserrat would have liked.

But as we discussed earlier I think most of those will come to a successful conclusion within the next 18 months.

I think the establishment of the regional secretariat in Bridgetown, will help to speed matters up.

I know there is some suspicion in some quarters about the role of the secretariat but I'd like to reassure the listeners that I see it as only a positive development.

You are used to working with Bridgetown for the british development division down there for aid projects , but in recent years there was a second pot of money, if you like, which could be used for aid projects.

This is administered by the foreign and commonwealth office and goes under the title of good government funds and for a while was administered from london, and I think that in itself, the foreign office has got the money.

That is very positive, but in trying to administer it from london caused a lot of problems. You had a three way dialogue with london, Bridge- town and the dependent territories, in this case, Montserrat.

So the decision to move people from london to work along side the development division in Bridgetown and create a regional secretariat was a very positive move.

And now Richard Kinchin is the head of that unit in Bridgetown and has got this overview, has got access to the money I think we seen recently a number of smaller schemes which have come on stream very quickly.

So I think we've made improvements. I will see it as my job to work closely with the respective government departments here and if they run up against a problem with Bridgetown or with london I will assist them to break the logjam.

(Q)In closing do you have any words of advice for Montserratians as to how they should cope with these tough economic times?

(A)It comes back to almost where we started: about Montserratians needing to think very much about their island, where it is going, where they want it go and how that fits in with their personal aspirations.

If you are going to be in the business of tourism, and I think everybody agrees that is where the long term wealth of the island could lay, finding the niche in the market, exporting it, that means many foreigners are going to visit Montserrat.

Now I think Montserrat has got to become a little more competitive than it is at present.

I don't have much experience at this and I'm sure people will tell me afterwards I shouldn't be treading in these particular waters, but I do know from some of the recent contracts that have been let, government house is a good example, most of the contracts on that project are going to the firms on island but we know that labour rates on some of the other caribbean islands are as low as a third of Montserratian rates.

Now it's fine, people can continue to want the standard of living they've got. They can continue to demand current rates and there is nothing wrong with that but a possible consequence is that some of the other caribbean islands are trying to compete for the same amount of international investment and Montserrat has got to be able to show that it's significantly different, that its got a competitive edge if its going to be successful in getting some of these large investors to come here.

The future is very much in the hands of young Montserratians and taking a pay cut isn't the only way to do it if you are in business.

Working longer hours and being more productive while maintaining current wage levels is another way of doing it.

So between the combination of the two I think that's what Montserrat has got to look to. Find out where its going, get competitive, and go for it.

(Q)You have made mention of a country policy plan for the dependent territories of the Caribbean. Could you elaborate?

(A)Yes, the british government has developed, in cooperation with the governments of the dependent territories, a proposal to review the range of government activity, to ask for proposals from the government and from independent consultants who are presently working in Montserrat.

To try to work out together, some objectives and some specific actions in support of those objectives to assist in the development and good administration of each of the dependent territories.

We have negotiated the first of what we hope will be a series of such plans with Anguilla.

It forms part of the new agreement on an aid package covering the next 3 years and it sets out some commitments on the part of the british government, on the part of the government of Anguilla on the administration of the territory over the years ahead.

Some of the sectors are very important sectors, of course, and the one that is of most concern to the present conference is health.

(Q)Could you highlight some of the centerpiece areas of this policy plan in terms of matching development fund with direct response from the recipient government?

(A)The basis for the country policy plan has been, in the case of Anguilla and we hope also in the case of Montserrat, a consultancy.

There has been a review of what the territories development needs are for the medium term ahead and on the basis of that we have tried to work out where we would like to see the territory in 2 or 3 years time.

We have a document which makes commitment on the part of both sides and we will have an annual review of the achievements against the objectives.

(Q)What sort of input into this country policy plan has the various governments made?

We've tried to look at the resources available to the government of Anguilla. I have to keep quoting Anguilla because it is the example that we have at the moment.

We've looked at what the government can provide and we've looked at what we hope may be provided by other aid donors and we've tried to calculate a package of financial assistance which is appropriate for the needs of the territory over the next three years.

I hope that the Anguilla government is satisfied with this approach. They have had a very cooperative and very productive input to the whole negotiating process.

We will, as I indicated, try to follow the same sort of approach with the government of other dependent territories, one of which will, of course, be Montserrat.

(Q)Could you tell us at what early stage will the Montserrat public be aware of the details of the country policy plan for Montserrat?

We are still at an early stage in the process of negotiation but I think it's generally known that there is a firm of consultants is undertaking a strategic review for Montserrat funded by the british development aid program.

This review will, we hope, identify the needs of Montserrat in terms of continuing assistance beyond the end of the present reconstruction post hurricane hugo agreement which we have at the moment.

We are engaged in a process of long-term planning. I hope that there is an understanding of this. The reconstruction following hurricane hugo has been slower than we would have wished.

I hope that the present level of activity shows that we are serious in our commitment.

There are a number of commitments still in the pipeline which we are following through but we want to look beyond the completion of the reconstruction and we want to look at the period of years following on from 94 and 95 so that we know at an early stage where we are going.

We are inviting a major input from the government of Montserrat so that we can sit down together and agree on a strategy for the next period.

(Q)In terms of emergency health care are there any considerations for emergencies ... for getting victims to united kingdom for emergency health care?

In fact is one of the areas we are looking at in the health sector adjustment program. I think that the details of that program have still to be worked out by the newly arrived expert that we are providing to Anguilla, Montserrat and the BVI.

(Q)How is the streamlining of the civil service in Montserrat inter-related to the country policy plan?

The streamlining of the civil service, I think, or the public sector reform ... the attempt to insure that the territory has a level of service which is appropriate, efficient and effective at a cost which the country can afford is all part of the overall picture of public finances.

I think Montserrat has been successful in balancing its budget and providing a level of service to its people for a number of years.

We would, I think, ourselves be very reluctant to see us going back to a situation where we provided not so much development aid for specific projects but rather a simple budgetary subsidy.

That's not really been necessary over the past few years and the government of Montserrat I think is anxious to insure that public finances remain healthy and that the public sector, the civil service, can provide services at a cost that the country can afford.

This is really a matter for the government of Montserrat but the same concern is one which is found in other places also.

There's been a good deal of talk on the news about the u.s. reinventing government and improving the efficiency of its civil service. We too in the u.k. have been trying to follow through the same process and we have set for ourselves targets in terms of the services which are provided to the people, the taxpayers of the u.k.

So I think that the government of Montserrat on its own scale is facing a problem ... facing an issue which affects governments around the world.

(Q)Are you saying that the british government did not mandate the retrenchment program?

(A)I don't think that at present there is a formal retrenchment program. I know that there is a concern on the part of government ministers in Montserrat to maintain an effective civil service at a cost which is affordable.

I think that's a concern of ours too in the u.k. but also for Montserrat, we have a good deal of sympathy with the situation which the government of Montserrat is in.

The concern which I think we share with the government of Montserrat is that we do not get into a situation where the british government is in effect saying that it is having to provide a subsidy and will therefore have to be much more closely involved with the management of the budget of the territory.

(Q)The implementation of this country policy plan is mandatory. What sort of time frame are we looking at for the british dependent territories and does the fact that the other british dependent territories haven't implemented this policy plan means that there is hesitancy of some sort?

(A)The country policy plan is not mandatory. It is an agreement between the british government which is providing some resources to assist with the development of the territory and the government of the territory concerned.

The process has been developed over a number of years now. There is an agreement with the Turks and Cacois islands going back some 3 years which is quite comprehensive, but is not fully developed as yet.

The first fully developed country policy plan has been negotiated with Anguilla. We have only had six months in which we have tried to do that and in fact the process took about three months.

We are looking at the prospects for negotiating similar wideranging agreements with the governments of the other dependent territories as the requirements of the present timetable for dispersing aid indicates.

In other words, as we are coming to a stage with Montserrat where we need to look ahead beyond the present reconstruction package and to look to the needs of the territory for the years beyond next year.

We are taking stock of the situation, we are asking the independent consultants to produce their analysis and their recommendations.

We shall then want to discuss them very thoroughly with the government of Montserrat and to see where the government of Montserrat is aiming to go and where we think we can agree to assist and work together for the good of the territory as a whole.

(Q)There has been some measure of adverse reaction, I think it will be fair to assume in Anguilla, which as you pointed out has been the only country so far to implement the country policy plan. What do you account for this ?

(A)I think the adverse reaction has been due to a misunderstanding of one particular element which has to do with social legislation.

The governments of all the dependant territories have already agreed to review the legislation which is currently the law because in some respects it's out of date but there is no commitment on the part of any government to change the law or to change it in any particular way.

We are just having a look at what the law can provide in terms of a framework for encouraging development and in terms of meeting international obligations.

There is perhaps a concrete example I can give if there is going to be a development of offshore finance, the legislation dealing with banking company formation, insurance and so forth needs to be up to date.

In the area of international obligations where there are international legal instruments in force then domestic law needs to be consistent with those international instruments otherwise there is a risk of challenge in the courts or before a united nations committee so we want to avoid that.

We want to have a dialogue as the british government responsible for the external relations of each of the territories with the government of the territories concerned but we want to keep each other fully informed of what we are doing.

It is just a matter of time before the Chief Minister of Montserrat puts his signature to the country policy plan drawn up by the government of the United Kingdom.

The main elements of the country policy plan consists of three parts:-

the plan identifies the broad principles on which the conduct of public affairs of the respective island/ territory are based and summarises the general commitments of the island/territory government.

It also outlines the principles being followed by HMG and the commitments to which it subscribes in relation to the agreed partnership programme.

The document also sets out a country policy matrix. This sets out in tabular form the agreed policy objectives of the island government on a sectoral basis.

It details the key policy and programme targets and actions necessary to achieve these. It provides the framework within which to monitor progress with the implementation of these policies and programmes as well as for reviewing the future use of HMG's aid and good government.

It can also be used to promote access to alternative sources of funding.

The third part consists of the 3-year public sector investment programme including projects agreed in principle by HMG (subject to the usual submission, appraisal and approval or project proposals) listing the investments to be undertaken, and providing a time-table for undertaking them.

The island/territory government has to confirm its commitment to democratic principles of government, and particularly, the principles in the constitution.

respect of the rule of law and fundamental principles enshrined in the constitution, including the protection of fundamental rights and freedom.

maintenance of international standards of human rights which reflect evolving international norms.

maintenance of law and order and social peace and stability.

responsible government including periodic free and fair elections.

The island/territory must also commit itself to the principles of responsible, ethical and equitable government.

accountability in government. pursuit of sound economic and financial policies aimed at promoting growth, self- sufficiency and a decent standard of living for the people.

The country policy plan also outlines the general principles guiding HMG. These include:-

HMG's commitment to the reasonable needs of the DT's. The DT's will continue to be a first charge on United Kingdom aid funds. HMG is responsible through the Governor for external affairs and other areas of reserved responsibility.

It is committed in the firm discharge of these functions.

The Governor consults to the fullest extent possible within the framework of the constitution with the government on all issues.

HMG remains committed to its policy of assisting territories to full independence when and if it is the clearly and constitutionally expressed wish of the people.

The overall responsibility for execution of the policy matrix rests with the Chief Minister who may delegate this at his discretion.

The execution of each sectoral plan will need to be managed by the officer responsible for that sector.

These individuals could be, for example, the Governor, Chief Minister, Permanent Secretary, Police Commissioner, Director of Agriculture.

The basis of the annual review will be a report from the Chief Minister (or his delegate) on progress with each sectoral action plan.

The Dependent Territories Regional Secretariat in Barbados and the British Development Division in the Caribbean may also commission supplementary investigations on progress.

In Anguilla, where the country policy plan was signed on August 11, 1993, the Public Administration Action Plan under its immediate action subhead calls for:-

a restriction (freeze) size of civil service to level provided for in the current budget.

approval of new/additional posts (through Ministry of Finance) should be subject of deletion of equal number of existing posts.

Before agreement on 1994/95 Aid package, there must be:-

continued freeze on (and possible reduction of) civil service numbers.

look again at staffing levels in the light of information technology.

identification of areas of over staffing and consider the need for retrenchment.

Dear Mr. Editor,

I must compliment you on the mammoth task that you have taken upon yourself. I know that you are doing a great job, and your work should, and must be carried on.

It is not easy to bring a wild set of animals to safety. We all know that they would quickly scamper away in obvious fear.

Montserratians too, have become wild with fear. We have been taught to do just the things that "they" want us to do.

We have been taught to know just what "they" want us to know. We accept everything from "them." So you see, our minds are still enslaved, and we must free ourselves from mental slavery.

In your August issue of The Pan-Afrikan Liberator, the speech made by Marcus Mosiah Garvey to Montserratians on his visit in 1936 was published.

In 1936, I was not yet born, so by no stretch of the imagination, could I begin to understand how lost people were then. It has been 57 years since Mr. Garvey made such a stunning observation, and yet, shamefully, today we are all in the same predicament. We appear to be even more lost now as to our true identities.

It is evident then, that no significant change has occurred.

The layman, analyzing our present situation, would quickly throw the blame on someone else. But, it is true that mankind has only themselves to blame for any situation they might find themselves in.

In order to make a change, we will have to become brave and strong outspoken people and not still think that we are "hewers of wood and carriers of water."

It is rather unfortunate that instead of striving for the best, for the black sister and brothers, we have become egotistic, materialistic machines, seeking only worldly wealth.

We fight constantly against each other, We despise each others worth. We don't compliment, we criticize, and most times in a negative way.

People of Montserrat, let us all forward together as an intelligent Afrikan people. Let us combine our strengths and make positive beneficial strides.

Knowledge is the key to understanding, so let us seek that knowledge. Always remember and know that we should strive for excellence at all times.

Let us not be brainwashed by britain and their cruel distorted system of oppression which is only cunningly put into place to forever keep us under their feet.

It makes no sense to be in the world, and not know what's going on. Never consume the monstrosities that britain feed us. Don't be afraid to utilize it, and object strongly too.

Mr. Editor, still I must continually praise your work. I want to know that you are not alone in this fight.

It may seem an impossible mission, to educate us shallow people about our culture, and instill consciousness in us, but peace, understanding and happiness will come.

There will be a happy day when we will be victorious over our adversaries. The day is coming soon, very soon.

Sister Nanny Cork Hill

Chedmond Browne was told just hours before his regularly sheduled Wednesday radio programme, " The Conscious Connection," that the programme would no longer be aired effective Wed., Oct. 20, 1993. It appears that free speech is no longer one of our fundamental rights.

The range of activity going on in Montserrat in the past few months will be the icing on the cake for a well executed plan by the british (FCS) government to take total final control of the affairs of Montserrat.

For more than one year The Pan-Afrikan Liberator has been laying out step by step as it happens and forecasting based on what is happening in the other dependent territories in the region, what is in store for Montserrat.

The sector of the society that is going to feel the full weight of the british takeover has chosen to sit by and ignore what is going on.

The sector of the society that should be at the forefront in the analysis, projection and rejection of many of the plans to be put in place has chosen to sit in their not so ivory towers and watch the events unfold.

Two recent interviews, one with the governor, and the other with the head of dependent territories affairs reveal much to those who have been following the british convoluted path towards the crushing of all local initiative and the reimposition of a british hands-on control of all the dependent territories.

Both representatives of her majesty's government tried their best to present their cases in a credible manner.

Neither, however, could hide the fact that british policy, in the best interest of britain, took precedence over all plans and decisions.

Their ultimate goal for the dependent territories, is a return to Granting Aid.

This return, however, must be manipulated in such a way that the monies generated by the local governments will not be used to support a large public sector.

The present public sector (civil service) feeds and look after a large local community.

Instead the british intend to contribute very little to our recurrent budget and in return gain total control of all the monies generated locally.

The governor has stated that he and his peers are a new breed of governor: hands- on governor, he calls it with a new approach to governing.

For those who are aware of the old approach to governing they will recognise that there is nothing new here.

What happened is that local governments recognizing the clandestine and manipulative way in which british civil servants went about conducting local affairs had managed by the late 1970's to get all of them returned to their ice caves.

Having set the table for their re-invasion, they are now returning to do just what they were doing before.

Projects that should have come on stream since 1990 are still in the processing stage or just now getting underway.

The reason for this is because the FCO had to insure that its members remained employed in the ever shrinking british empire and to put in place a network to insure that its old boys club throughout the region reap the benefits of the aid monies that were promised.

In order to insure that every facet of their plan would be agreed to and accepted by the local legislature, the british withheld the aid funds and proceeded to destroy confidence in existing local legislators and the local economy of all the dependent territories.

In Montserrats case, this meant not only a change in government, but also the killing of the small business sector and the destruction of the local construction industry.

By putting in place certain financial constraints that the local contractors could not meet, they insured that british construction companies with close ties to the old-boy network now operating out of Barbados, could step in and carry back the bulk of the aid funds to england.

The first priority of the governor is to impose her majesty's government's policy for Montserrat on Montserratians.

By encouraging a naive and gullible public to speak to him on personal matters, he can establish a personal information network. As an outsider with british priority interest, he can now involve himself in, and manipulate the affairs of the local populace.

An old Afrikan proverb that says-: " never let a stranger into the affairs of the family because he will soon run the affairs of the family", needs to be applied here.

The vast majority of Montserratians have absolutely no idea of what the letters of patents that were collected and put together in 1989 and called the Monsterrat Constitution, says.

All authority internal or external, exists for and at the discretion of her majesty's representative, the governor.

The governor is an absolute dictator who exists above the law on the island that he governs.

This is the second governor in recent times to use "anachronistic" to describe the position of governor.

According to Webster's dictionary, this word means out of touch with current reality.

Here they are telling us, this is 1993, almost the 21st century, and we cannot appear to be doing what we were doing at the height of our colonial might when we believed we ruled the world.

However, every existing british colony is still run and controlled in exactly the same manner as though we were still in the 19th century.

"No man has the right to own another. No country has the right to own another or to impose its will upon it."(MCB)

When a statement is made to the effect that the governor will at times have to act just as he sees fit even if it's not in accordance with the government of Montserrat

and then in the next breath, both representatives of her majesty's government mention the words, "partnership government,"

one has to wonder just what their intelligence network has told them about the level of intelligence of the local populace.

What partnership are they talking about?

For those who believe that such a thing exists as a partnership between the local government and the british government, consider the prison that is to be built.

The local populace has stated its opposition, not only to the prison being built, but also to its location on prime agricultural land.

Local groups and organizations, including the people most affected in the Town Hill area, have gone through all the channels available.

The result, is that the british government says that a prison will be built regardless of what the people say or feel.

The question is, do the british anticipate so much change in the local society in the Montserrat they are in the process of creating?

The strategic review team funded by the ODA came to Montserrat not at the request of the local government, but at the request of the british government.

The same process was used in Anguilla, before the Anguillan country policy plan was put in place.

What the strategic review team will put in their report is that the future of Montserrat lies in one-day Tourism and Offshore Financing.

Anyone who has taken time out to read the reports on tourism in undeveloped countries knows that 90% of the tourist dollar stays in the developed country that the tourist comes from.

Tourism does nothing for an undeveloped country and caters only to the mythological superiority phantasy that europeans have attempted to fool the world with and continue to fool themselves with as they visit so called undeveloped countries.

Anyone who took time out to read the Gallagher Report and understand the implications of clause 16 of our so called constitution will be fully aware of the fact that off-shore financing belongs totally and solely to the british expatriate community that is slowly but surely beginning to regain a foothold in this land under british auspices.

The review teams plan for Montserrat was already formulated before they came and will be accepted by a local government desperate to present its electorate with proof of its ability to do.

Not only has the governor's position been insulated with 16 british technical officers in key positions in the civil service, but he also has a british chief of police, a british deputy customs comptroller, and a vacant post to be filled in her majesty's prison.

The most recent development in this unfolding melodrama is the local defence force.

The post of Major in the defence force has been, as far back as memory serves, been held by a Montserratian. This makes the position second only to the governor in military matters.

Recently, the current Major was forced to retire. The post of Major will not be given to a Montserratian, and command of the defence force now comes under the direct command of the head of the irish guard in britain.

Having suggested that we need to think about our future and determine where we want to go and stating that we are going to have to create more jobs for our school leavers, the governor goes on to suggest that one of the ways we can help do that is by cleaning up the island and putting out more receptacles for trash.

Another way we can help, he suggests is by helping the police with the drug problem.

An expatriate who lived here was deported from this country for allegedly moving drugs on a large scale.

It is alleged that the same expat was also deported from St. Lucia for dealing in drugs again.

Recently the executive council in Montserrat pardoned the man and allowed him to take back up residence in Montserrat. The official story states that the police department was not thorough enough in its investigation and the man was deported from the island without supporting evidence.

If drugs are being moved in a big way in this country, then it is not being done by the little people.

As is the trend all over the world, only those in high places and positions of power reap the riches from the traffic in drugs.

As it is all over the world, only the poor and the powerless reap the sorrow and the misery that the drugs bring.

The waters around Montserrat have become a trans-shipment area for drug traffickers. They must liaise with others in or around Montserrat.

The police launch, the only real deterrent, has been put on anchor because government cannot afford to buy fuel.

The last governor bought off the older influential members of the community. This one, who has already asserted that the future of Montserrat lies with the youth, has decided to target that youth.

Through slick public relations ploys that will advertise every donation he makes, the governor intends to make sure that every youth organisation in this country comes to his door to beg for assistance.

The result is effective in two ways. It reinforces the dependancy syndrome on another generation and it solidifies in the minds of the youth that the governor and england stand supreme.

To further clarify, the governor visited the primary schools recently. The destructive traditional slavish mentality of the present generation of mis- educated administrators caused the children to be instructed in the following manner.

"Upon the arrival of the governor in each class, you must come to attention and say in a loud voice, good morning your excellency the governor."

At that age, and with no explanation, how can those little ones view themselves in relation to this most excellent person?

According to the governor, in order for Montserrat to move into the future, the local populace must be willing to reduce the standard of life to which they have become accustomed.

The british expatriate community is dumbfounded and bedazzled when they come to Montserrat and see that certain sectors of our community have a standard of living that surpasses what they themselves are used to in england.

The police commissioner had to quickly park up his second hand car. Expatriate wives have had to hide their beaten and used appliances in basements.

One has been heard complaining loudly that her maid drives in a car and lives in a house that she could never afford in england.

The entire expatriate british community assumes that we acquired these material possessions through the largesse of their tax money.

Having made that assumption, they are now going to insure that only they live well off that imagined tax money and they are going to put us back into the position they think that we belong.

The governor, fully aware of the fact that the existing populace has been brainwashed into believing that the island cannot exist without british guidance, goes on to state "... every young Montserratian should aspire towards independence."

Of course, if only young Montserratians should aspire to rule their country for themselves, then that gives england another 15 years to play with our lives before the present young generation rises to a leadership role in the land.

However, he says, even though "we will not in any way attempt to influence Montserrat towards independence, when the issue does come up, england should be a part of that decision."

Well, what are we? Idiots, morons, brain dead, what?

Anyway, england has already forecasted that we do not want independence in the foreseeable future.

The british have two positions on independence. One is for local consumption and the other is to satisfy the United Nations charter that britain signed.

The charter states that there are to be no colonies anywhere on Earth by the beginning of the 21st century.

In order for this to become a reality, countries that still maintain their colonial hold on the people they enslaved, must in fact, put in place a program that will bring the people whose minds they have also colonized to the realization that the right to determine one's own destiny is the foundation of the Rights of Man.

The international position goes like this: "The british government remains committed to assisting territories to full independence when and if it is the clearly and constitutionally expressed will of the people."

The real position since 1986, as expressed by Baroness Chalker and the local governors, goes like this:

"Our position is that we do not seek in any way to influence opinion on this important matter. We don't urge you to start moving toward it but stand ready to respond positively if and when it happens."

Both really say the same thing, but british diplomacy will allow the first statement to be interpreted as though they are ready and willingly assisting in the cutting of apron strings.

The second statement, however, shows clearly that the local populace will have to throw off the shackles of colonialism, shake free of the slavish and dependent mentality which the british have cultivated in them for generations, and still comply to some formula which the british pulled out of their hat.

There is only one place in the so called constitution where independence is referred to.

It states-: Whereas the realization of the right to Self-Determination must be promoted and respected in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

When Montserratians decide that it is time for the british to leave this country they have absolutely no say as to the how, the why, or the wherefore. When we tell them to go, they must pack their bags and go.

" Our position or the british government position is that they do not seek in any way to influence opinion in Montserrat on this important question.

We don't urge Montserrat to consider moving toward independence."

(MCB)