Oil prices boost Algerian exports

A new report has shown that Algeria?s trade surplus during the first four months of the year 2011 amounted to about US$8.6 billion, compared to US$6.8 billion during the same period last year, 2010.

According to the report, Algeria?s exports amounted to US$23.63 billion during the first months of this year, say an increase of 16.45%.

� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/oil-prices-boost-algerian-exports

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Schotte files complaint against Emsley Tromp

WILLEMSTAD--Just before leaving for the Netherlands on Friday, Cura�ao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte (MFK) filed a complaint of his own against Central Bank director Emsley Tromp, confirmed prosecutor in charge of press affairs Ludimila Vicento. She would not go into details, but blackmail is considered the likely charge.

Schotte said Tromp came with his accusations against cabinet members in a failed attempt to force the government to drop its inquiry into the role of the head of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) in a controversial three-million-guilder loan without collateral from Banco di Caribe in 2009.

Meanwhile, New Post director Franklin Sluis has cast doubt on one of Tromp's allegations. He denied having been part of a meeting between Girobank director Eric Garcia and Finance Minister George "Jorge" Jamaloodin (MFK), in which the latter would have suggested that Girobank should employ his security company, "Speedy Security," for money transports in exchange for becoming the government's "house bank."

Sluis said he had been at no meeting where such was discussed, but he would cooperate fully with authorities in the investigation. "I regret that the impression has been created as if I was involved in such a conversation or possible unlawful act."

Cura�ao Banker's Association (CBA) is concerned about the violation of privacy and confidentiality when it comes to information on clients of commercial banks. "The image of the financial sector has been dented," said CBA chairman Chicu Capriles.

He was referring to the moment when Schotte, during a press conference, showed the television cameras he had a copy of a transfer from Tromp's bank account. "That's not normal," said the banker, calling for an investigation into the leak and closing such as quickly as possible.

Cura�ao Business Association VBC, in a release, said the current public row between the Schotte cabinet and the Central Bank director is very damaging to the island. The employers' organisation wants the relation between the government and the financial institution to be restored and is calling for an independent investigation.

"It's bad for the international reputation, the investment climate, and the economy, while it does not contribute to safeguarding the value and stability of the guilder, nor a healthy financial system with safe and efficient money traffic."

VBC said the already decreasing confidence among entrepreneurs could go down to where there is economic stagnation and even a crisis, with business closures and loss of jobs as a result. The association urged Governor Frits Goegdedrag to establish an independent "committee of wise and able men" to at least normalise relations between the government and the Central Bank pending the investigation.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/17286--schotte-files-complaint-against-emsley-tromp.html

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Dissolution of Kingdom is looming, says Donner

AMSTERDAM--The last step of the "continuous dissolution" of the Dutch Kingdom, namely the complete independence of Aruba, Cura�ao and St. Maarten, is not far off, if things progress the way they are now, according to Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Piet Hein Donner.

Donner made his remarkable statement at a gathering of the Antillean Network Association VAN in Amsterdam Friday evening. Donner, who was the main speaker at the event that kicked off a weekend of activities themed "The Islands Adrift," explained that the process of continuous dissolution actually started in 1948.

The Round Table Conference in that year kicked off a process that led to Suriname's independence and a status apart for Aruba. With the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles in October last year the last but one step was taken in the process of continuous dissolution.

"Only one step remains: the dissolution of the Kingdom ties and the complete independence of Aruba, Cura�ao and St. Maarten. The Netherlands would remain a Caribbean country, the consequence of the decision to take up Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba into the Dutch Constellation. And that step is not too far if we continue in this manner," said Donner, who made clear that the Netherlands cannot take that step.

Donner's speech was remarkable because it was the first time that he openly spoke about the future of the Kingdom, indirectly giving his vision on the Kingdom, a position that the Dutch Second Chamber has been asking for several times. The Dutch Government is currently preparing an official vision on the Kingdom.

The fact that the question is posed whether the Kingdom has a shared future shows that this is not the case, said Donner. "We are not busy either with the question whether the provinces have a shared future."

Yet, the Netherlands has never really answered the question what it wants for the Kingdom. "The Kingdom was just there. It was the Netherlands and the former colonies were a Dutch responsibility. The Netherlands could and cannot unilaterally make them independent," he said.

Donner said the Kingdom was more than a commonwealth of independent states. The Kingdom consists of the countries of the Kingdom that look after their own affairs, care for the interests of the Kingdom based on equality and offer each other mutual assistance.

"But it concerns the past as long as the Kingdom is merely a legal tie and political guarantee. Than the Kingdom is only a result of responsibility and accountability of the Netherlands as a former colonial power. We are busy with the past as long as we only deal with the responsibilities and restrictions of the Kingdom. We are talking about the future when we speak of the possibilities of the Kingdom," said Donner.

The transformation of October 10, 2010 was especially a reaction to grievances and problems of the past. It wasn't based on a joint vision on a positive filling in and ambitions of the new situation. "That is worrisome because the Kingdom is not a goal on its own. Than we are busy with a renovation of a constellation of which we don't know whether it is worth the while to maintain it."

Donner said it was "high time" that the partners asked themselves the question what they wanted for the Kingdom. "We can continue by reproaching each other in a loud voice, but it will only restrict the options and speed up the moment of a definite bearing up," he said.

The Minister said there were three scenarios for the Kingdom. The first scenario was to continue on the current path whereby each of the countries would go their own way without making something good of the relations and with the Kingdom relations being little more than a legal tie.

Under the first option the Kingdom would mostly have a guarantee function with the Netherlands being responsible for integer and proper governments, a solid structure of law and order and the protection of human rights. "The Netherlands would be seen as the police officer who looks after law and order in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom," he said.

In the second scenario, partners would find a basis of joint interests and of own interests which are strengthened by cooperation. The third scenario is that the countries mostly focus on their own individual interests but that the cooperation strengthens their relation.

Donner didn't indicate a preference of any of the three scenarios, since it concerned a decision of all Kingdom partners. He said the "love and tie should come from two sides and has to be stable."

The Netherlands wants to keep the ties with the other countries of the Kingdom because it has an interest in maintaining and strengthening the Kingdom. He said it was a "misunderstanding" that especially Aruba, Cura�ao and St. Maarten had an interest in continuing the current relations and the Netherlands didn't.

He pointed out that the Netherlands had a direct interest in stability and prosperity of the Dutch "public entities" Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba which can serve as a "showcase" for the Dutch and European private sector in its trade relations with South America. Furthermore, the strategic location of the Dutch Caribbean islands make them an important partner in the fight against organised crime in the region.

Donner said there was much to gain from good and close ties in the Kingdom. A prerequisite, however, is that each country sees it as its own interest and responsibility to make sure that there is proper governance, healthy government finances, integrity, justice and safety for its inhabitants.

"Own interest because citizens want to be governed in a proper, trustworthy and integer manner. Own interest also because legal security, safety and proper governance play a key role in the decision of companies to set up a business in a country," stated Donner.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/17066-dissolution-of-kingdom-is-looming-says-donner.html

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Netanyahu and the One-state Solution

By Neve Gordon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address US legislators on Tuesday. He will, no doubt, tell members of Congress that he supports a two-state solution, but his support will be predicated on four negative principles: no to Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 borders; no to the division of Jerusalem; no to the right of return for Palestinian refugees; and no to a Palestinian military presence in the new state.

The problem with Netanyahu's approach is not so much that it is informed by a rejectionist worldview. The problem is not even Netanyahu's distorted conception of Palestine's future sovereignty, which Meron Benvenisti aptly described as "scattered, lacking any cohesive physical infrastructure, with no direct connection to the outside world, and limited to the height of its residential buildings and the depth of its graves. The airspace and the water resources will remain under Israeli control..."

Rather, the real problem is that Netanyahu's outlook is totally detached from current political developments, particularly the changing power relations both in the Middle East and around the world. Indeed, his approach is totally anachronistic.

Netanyahu's not-so-implicit threat that Israel will continue its colonial project if the Palestinians do not accept some kind of "Bantustan solution" no longer carries any weight. The two peoples have already passed this juncture.

The Palestinians have clearly declared that they will not bow down to such intimidations, and it is now clear that the conflict has reached an entirely new intersection.

At this new intersection, there are two signs. The first points towards the west and reads "viable and just two-state solution", while the second one points eastward and reads "power sharing".

The first sign is informed by years of political negotiations (from the Madrid conference in 1991, through Oslo, Camp David, Taba, and Annapolis) alongside the publication of different initiatives (from the Geneva Initiative and the Saudi Plan to the Nussaiba and Ayalon Plan), all of which have clarified what it would take to reach a peace settlement based on the two-state solution. It entails three central components:

1. Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 border, with possible one-for-one land swaps so that ultimately the total amount of land that was occupied will be returned.

2. Jerusalem's division according to the 1967 borders, with certain land swaps to guarantee that each side has control over its own religious sites and large neighbourhoods. Both these clauses entail the dismantlement of Israeli settlements and the return of the Jewish settlers to Israel.

3. The acknowledgement of the right of return of all Palestinians, but with the following stipulation: while all Palestinians will be able to return to the fledgling Palestinian state, only a limited number agreed upon by the two sides will be allowed to return to Israel; those who cannot exercise this right or, alternatively, choose not to, will receive full compensation.

Israel's continued unwillingness to fully support these three components is rapidly leading to the annulment of the two-state option and, as a result, is leaving open only one possible future direction: power sharing.

The notion of power sharing would entail the preservation of the existing borders, from the Jordan valley to the Mediterranean Sea, and an agreed upon form of a power sharing government led by Israeli Jews and Palestinians, and based on the liberal democracy model of the separation of powers. It also entails a parity of esteem - namely, the idea that each side respects the other side's identity and ethos, including language, culture and religion. This, to put it simply, is the bi-national one-state solution.

Many Palestinians have come to realise that even though they are currently under occupation, Israel's rejectionist stance will unwittingly lead to the bi-national solution. And while Netanyahu is still miles behind the current juncture, it is high time for a Jewish Israeli and Jewish American Awakening, one that will force their respective leaders to support a viable democratic future for the Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. One that will bring an end to the violent conflict.

- Neve Gordon is the author of Israel's Occupation. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Visit: www.israelsoccupation.info.

Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16881

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New discoveries in Egypt's Luxor site

Cairo, (Pal Telegraph) - During a routine excavation at the funerary temple of the 18th Dynasty king, Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 BC), at Kom el-Hettan area on Luxor’s west bank, the mission of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project unearthed an alabaster colossus of the great king. The team has also discovered the head of a deity, as well as restoring a stele and a statue head of the same king.

Source: http://www.paltelegraph.com/entertainment/arts/9325-new-discoveries-in-egypts-luxor-site.html

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New office train between Fort and Rambukkana

A special office train service was commenced between Colombo Fort�and Rambukkana, said Railway Controller Nihal Fernandez.

The train�will leave Colombo Fort at 4.50 pm and reach Rambukkana at 6.30 pm. It will leave Rambukkana at 6.15 am and reach Colombo at 7.57 am.

He said the train service will be only on weekdays.

Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php/latest/7927-new-office-train-between-fort-and-rambukkana-

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Arrindell says closed meeting with CFT was ?open and frank?

PHILIPSBURG--President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell described the meeting between the Central Committee of Parliament and the Committee of Financial Supervision CFT on Tuesday morning as "open and frank."

"The meeting ended on a very positive note with the understanding that we all as Members of Parliament (MPs) subscribe to having a sound and transparent financial management system for country St. Maarten," she said in a press release.

"Parliament will execute its role as mandated by the people, including making sure that Government puts its household in order before or ultimately by the end of 2015, on the basis of having the right balance between public expenditures and financial accountability," Arrindell said.

The meeting's agenda dealt with the budgets of 2010, 2011 and 2012, financial management system, and the Corporate Governance Council (CGC).

MPs also sought clarity about the right of Parliament, and not CFT, to have the final say on the country's budget.

MPs and the CFT discussed the role of Parliament regarding the 2010 budget, and sought clarity from a procedural and constitutional perspective, since the law is not unambiguous in its interpretation, "mainly when placed in the context of the timeframe of 10-10-10, and the date to submit and approve the budget 2010 before January 1, 2011 as legally prescribed by our constitution," she said.

Another point discussed was the deadline that St. Maarten "allegedly has not met to be able to qualify for claims with regards to the debt relief process agreed to in 2006 and, the role of government-owned companies."

MPs were informed that the CFT and the Ministry of Finance have been in early discussions and consultations about preparations for the draft 2012 budget along the lines as established by the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision.

The CGC was also on the agenda. "With respect to the CGC, Parliament has received correspondence from the latter and we plan on following up in inviting the CGC for a meeting so they can update us on their current state of affairs," Arrindell said.

MPs Silvia Meyers, Johan Leonard, George Pantophlet, Patrick Illidge, Jules James, Dr. Lloyd Richardson, and Romain Laville were present for the meeting. Absent with notice was MP William Marlin.

CFT was represented by Hans Weitenberg, Margo Vlieghart, Alberto Romero, Kees van Nieuwamerongen, Geert Bergsma, Martijn van Keulen, and Jacob de Glee.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/16937-arrindell-says-closed-meeting-with-cft-was-open-and-frank.html

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