Report says countries faill to encourage political competition

A report published Monday says that many Commonwealth countries have failed to encourage open political competition.

The document also said it is time for new impetus in the Commonwealth's commitment to promoting democracy.

The report, which was commissioned by the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, and a democracy assistance organisation - Electoral Reform International Services - was released ahead of the Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad this week.

One of the recommendations is for a 'health check' on the state of democracy in each Commonwealth country at least every two years.

Planned protest critictised

The government and business community in Trinidad have condemned calls by a pressure group to stage protest action this week ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit.

The group, People's Democracy, is made up of several trade unions, civil society groups and an environmental lobby.

They are protesting a range of issues, including the hiring of Chinese labour, what they consider to be extravagant and wasteful spending by the government on massive buildings, and a new house and land tax.

They have been urging workers to stay away from their jobs on Monday and Tuesday to send the message to the government.

However, the business community says the planned protest will not assist workers.

OECS to sign new treaty

OECS leaders have pledged to sign a new treaty before year-end.

The new accord, to be initialled by 29 December, is aimed at facilitating the creation of a single economic space within the nine-member grouping.

The leaders took the decision at their recent summit in Anguilla.

Grenada's Prime Minister ,Tillman Thomas, said the signing of the new treaty will be preceded by a special meeting of the authority, to consider the treatment of recommendations from public consultations in member states.

Officer wants more power for military

A senior Jamaican military officer wants troops to be given more powers to help fight spiralling crime.

Major General Stewart Saunders is calling for legislation that would allow soldiers to search, detain and arrest suspected criminals.

Jamaican troops already accompany police on some operations to restore law and order in troubled communities.

Over 1,000 people have been killed in Jamaica so far this year.

Police smash DomRep ID fraud ring

Police in the Dominican Republic have dismantled a ring providing forged identification documents for illegal Haitian immigrants.

A police spokesman said the two leaders, who were arrested on the weekend, also forged drivers licenses and firearms permits, as well as ATM cards and other documents.

The two men created identities for illegal Haitian immigrants based on information obtained from the Central Elections Board database.

The police said US Social Security Administration cards were also among documents found by investigators.

Investors want Stanford liquidator removed

A group of investors wants an Antiguan court to remove a British accounting firm appointed to collect the assets of the bank at the centre of an alleged fraud scheme by Allen Stanford.

The lawyer for the group said his clients have asked the High Court of Antigua to remove Vantis Business Recovery Services as liquidator, because a Canadian court found that the company had deleted data from computers in the Montreal branch of Stanford International Bank, without permission from the courts.