BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - POLITICAL SCIENTISTS Dr George Belle and Peter Wickham yesterday weighed in on the announcement by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart that the general election will be on February 21. Dr Belle maintained that the election was “unnecessarily delayed”. “We knew that the Constitution and the law allowed him to call it after the five years had passed since the last election but it was the practice in Barbados and most of the Commonwealth that you would call the elections before the anniversary of the last election date.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson has called on Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders to decide on their priorities as well as set a specific time table in order to accelerate regional growth and development.
Addressing the Rotary Club of Georgetown, World Understanding Month dinner on Monday night, Patterson also lamented the fact that CARICOM nationals were still experiencing difficulties in travelling through the 15-member grouping despite efforts to ease restrictions on travel.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Contrary to the belief emanating from some quarters, deportees do not head the list of crime perpetrators in Antigua & Barbuda.
National Security Minister Dr Errol Cort said these individuals are not at the forefront of the criminal activities that “we are currently experiencing.”
In an exclusive interview with OBSERVER Media, Dr Cort said based on reports from the various law enforcement agencies, “The suggestion is that perhaps they might be more behind the scenes organising and arranging, but they are certainly not at the forefront.”

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC - Less than 21 days before Grenadians go to the poll to elect a new government, Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Denis Michael Lett has died. He was 74 years old.
Lett, a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) died of prostate cancer.
He had successfully contested the 2003 and 2008 general elections but was not named as a candidate for the February 19 poll.