Hamilton Greene
“I say we should keep rigging to save us from these devils”- Hamilton Green – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
# “I say we should keep rigging to save us from these devils”- Hamilton Green
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Veteran Guyanese politician, Hamilton Green at the weekend cited rigging of elections as an option to remove the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) from office.
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During a lengthy remark from the floor at a Burnham Foundation-organised lecture to mark the 101st birth anniversary of the late founder-leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Forbes Burnham, he recalled telling a group earlier Friday that, in response to claims that Burnham had rigged elections, then that should be the means to remove the incumbent administration from office.
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“If, as I told one of the groups that I met this (last Friday) morning they say he rigged elections, I say we should keep rigging to save us from these devils, these bastards, these demons that we have,” said Mr Green, a former government minister and Prime Minister of Guyana.
# Report on the Zimbabwe Elections February 1980
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In March 1978 the former leader of the white minority regime of Rhodesia, Ian Smith, declared to the international press that the co-leaders of the Patriotic Front had rejected the internal settlement of 3 March 1978 signed by his government and three African leaders, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Chief Jeremiah Chirau, and the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, because they were afraid to participate in the elections which he had organized on the basis of universal adult suffrage. On 4 March 1980, after the election results showed that 77 of the 80 seats reserved for the African population of Zimbabwe had been won by the Patriotic Front, the British government made it clear that it would have no truck with those who condemned the election results as unrepresentative and unfair. Both Lord Carrington and his deputy in the House of Commons, Sir Ian Gilmour, described the elections as free and fair and said that the results represented the true feeling of the electorate. Both men were emphatic that Robert Mugabe had emerged as the clear choice of the Zimbabwean people.1 An election is an unusual step in the evolution of a struggle for national independence. Indeed, that which took place in Zimbabwe on 27, 28, and 29 February 1980 is the first historical example of such a phenomenon. It is not my intention to predict what the impact of the elections will be on the future of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. That will depend on a variety of
www.philstar.com · 2008-08-26# BMI: Sulpicio liable in Princess of the Stars disaster
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MANILA, Philippines – The ships of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) might again be grounded after the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) recommended to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to order the shipping firm to stop its vessels from sailing.
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Among the recommendations to the Marina of the six-man board led by Rear Admiral Ramon Liwag that conducted the investigation on the sinking of the SLI-owned M/V Princess of the Stars was to “consider the suspension of the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of SLI in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.”
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Concluding that the accident was caused by human error, the BMI also suggested that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) revoke the Master Mariner Board Registration Certificate of the ship’s master Captain Florencio Marimon Sr., Captain Nestor Ponteres, SLI’s port captain of Cebu; and Captain Benjamin Eugenio, port captain of Manila.
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Marimon was one of over 600 people on board the vessel still missing after the Princess of the Stars sank at the height of typhoon “Frank” off Sibuyan Island in Romblon on June 21.
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BMI chairman Liwag said in a 62-page final report that while Marina has already started conducting its seaworthiness tests on the SLI fleet, there was need to re-assess the conditions of the ships. “We want the defects in the system to be corrected.”
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The BMI also said that SLI “failed to exercise extraordinary diligence” because it failed to apprise the master of the potential impact of typhoon Frank while it was at port and when it sailed to sea; it failed to discourage the master from proceeding on its intended voyage despite severe weather conditions along the route; failed to assess the direction of the vessel and the storm from 12 midnight of June 20 until 6 a.m. the next day; it also failed to monitor the conditions of the vessel, passengers and cargo during that critical moment.”
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SLI also violated a CPC provision wherein SLI shall carry at all times on board the ship a copy of relevant Marina, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) circulars and issuances particularly the revised guidelines on movements of vessels during heavy weather; failed to implement the International Safety Management (ISM) policy; there appeared to be a lack of knowledge of the SLI officials and personnel on the ISM manual when they appeared before the BMI; failed to recognize the emergency exits which could have led to activating of the shore emergency response plan of the company; and there was no Shipboard Procedure Manual in case a vessel had to leave port and would pass by an area where there is a typhoon condition or along its route.
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BMI said the shipping firm should consider the suspension of its safety officer; the safety or quality officers and port captains should undergo special training
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of other SLI vessels should also be given refresher courses in typhoon monitoring and typhoon evasion techniques; and the officers and crew should familiarize themselves with their respective roles in every emergency situation.
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Captain Marimon allegedly committed 10 omissions, the BMI said in its report.
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“The master failed to exercise ordinary diligence in discharging his responsibility under the Quality Safety Management System (QSMS) manual to ensure the safety of his crew, the safe operation of his vessel and pollution prevention and at the same time protecting the owner’s commercial interest.”
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He also reportedly failed to assess the potential dangers of typhoon Frank and did not properly monitor the movement of storm in relation to the ship’s direction. The vessel’s mean draft of 6.20 meters was greater than the maximum loadable draft of 6.18 meters as indicated by Marina. He also failed to use other tools such as the barometer or the Buy Ballots Law that would have been helpful to avoid the natural calamity.
the Stars tragedy
Published June 23
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2008 10:18pm
MANILA, Philippines - A senator on Monday filed a resolution urging the Senate Committee on Public Services and other appropriate committees to probe last Saturday’s capsizing of the MV Princess of the Stars near Romblon province due to Typhoon “Frank.” This, as two lawmakers called for the resignation of the officials of the government bodies responsible for allowing MV Princess of the Stars to sail despite the warnings on inclement weather. In his Senate Resolution 455, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said the inquiry must zero in on the liabilities of the Sulpicio Lines, owner of MV Princess of the Stars, as well as of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina). The senator said it must be clarified why the ill-fated vessel was still given clearance to leave the port of Manila last Friday when typhoon Signal 1 hovered in Metro Manila despite the fact that the sea lane to be traversed by the ship runs smack into the predicted path of the Signal No. 3 typhoon. Biazon also noted that Sulpicio Lines was involved in similar tragedies such as the sinking of M/V Doña Marilyn in 1988, the capsizing of M/V Princess of the Orient in 1998, and the M/V Princess of the World catching fire while at sea in 2005. “The determination of how to prevent similar incidents in the future involving sea disasters affects the people’s safety at sea,” the resolution said. Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said Marina officials led by its administrator, Vicente Suazo, should resign for implementing "defective" guidelines that allowed MV Princess of the Stars to sail despite the incoming typhoon. On the other hand, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita batted for the resignation of PCG chief Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo for the same reason. “For reason of delicadeza alone, Vice Admiral Tamayo should resign because he cannot fend off blame by saying he merely followed Philippine maritime regulations,” Zialcita said. The Paranaque solon described Tamayo’s excuse that he allowed the sailing of the vessel because only signal No. 1 was up in Metro Manila as “flimsy.” - GMANews.TV
www.philstar.com · 2008-08-26# BMI: Sulpicio liable in Princess of the Stars disaster
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MANILA, Philippines – The ships of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) might again be grounded after the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) recommended to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to order the shipping firm to stop its vessels from sailing.
...
Among the recommendations to the Marina of the six-man board led by Rear Admiral Ramon Liwag that conducted the investigation on the sinking of the SLI-owned M/V Princess of the Stars was to “consider the suspension of the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of SLI in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.”
...
Concluding that the accident was caused by human error, the BMI also suggested that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) revoke the Master Mariner Board Registration Certificate of the ship’s master Captain Florencio Marimon Sr., Captain Nestor Ponteres, SLI’s port captain of Cebu; and Captain Benjamin Eugenio, port captain of Manila.
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over 600
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missing after the
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sank at the
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of typhoon “Frank”
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BMI chairman Liwag said in a 62-page final report that while Marina has already started conducting its seaworthiness tests on the SLI fleet, there was need to re-assess the conditions of the ships. “We want the defects in the system to be corrected.”
...
The BMI also said that SLI “failed to exercise extraordinary diligence” because it failed to apprise the master of the potential impact of typhoon Frank while it was at port and when it sailed to sea; it failed to discourage the master from proceeding on its intended voyage despite severe weather conditions along the route; failed to assess the direction of the vessel and the storm from 12 midnight of June 20 until 6 a.m. the next day; it also failed to monitor the conditions of the vessel, passengers and cargo during that critical moment.”
...
SLI also violated a CPC provision wherein SLI shall carry at all times on board the ship a copy of relevant Marina, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) circulars and issuances particularly the revised guidelines on movements of vessels during heavy weather; failed to implement the International Safety Management (ISM) policy; there appeared to be a lack of knowledge of the SLI officials and personnel on the ISM manual when they appeared before the BMI; failed to recognize the emergency exits which could have led to activating of the shore emergency response plan of the company; and there was no Shipboard Procedure Manual in case a vessel had to leave port and would pass by an area where there is a typhoon condition or along its route.
...
BMI said the shipping firm should consider the suspension of its safety officer; the safety or quality officers and port captains should undergo special training on weather monitoring and the potential danger to all vessels; the masters of other SLI vessels should also be given refresher courses in typhoon monitoring and typhoon evasion techniques; and the officers and crew should familiarize themselves with their respective roles in every emergency situation.
...
Captain Marimon allegedly committed 10 omissions, the BMI said in its report.
...
“The master failed to exercise ordinary diligence in discharging his responsibility under the Quality Safety Management System (QSMS) manual to ensure the safety of his crew, the safe operation of his vessel and pollution prevention and at the same time protecting the owner’s commercial interest.”
...
He also reportedly failed to assess the potential dangers of typhoon Frank and did not properly monitor the movement of storm in relation to the ship’s direction. The vessel’s mean draft of 6.20 meters was greater than the maximum loadable draft of 6.18 meters as indicated by Marina. He also failed to use other tools such as the barometer or the Buy Ballots Law that would have been helpful to avoid the natural calamity.