Exceptions…

…in the air
Juan Evo Morales is the president of Bolivia. So he went on a trip to Russia in his official plane – sort of the Bolivian version of the U. S.’s “Air Force One” that Barack Obama uses. As one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world, he was there for a conference on the fuel.
He’s all done with his conference and is flying home when France, Portugal and Spain refused permission to pass through their airspace. The plane had to turn back and being low on fuel was allowed to land in Austria where the plane was searched. Now you have to understand the background to this outrage to appreciate its importance.
When a plane takes off, it has a flight plan that’s filed and approved by the countries in its path.
This means that the countries that refused the “fly over” made their decision after the plane took off. The question is why did they rescind their previous approval – and in unison. The answer is Edward Snowden – the fellow who blew the cover on the National Security Agency (NSA) snooping outrage. He’s holed up at an airport in Moscow seeking asylum from any country that’ll have him. Somebody must’ve figured that Morales, a fierce critic of U. S. foreign policy, was spiriting him away.
But by international law, the Bolivian president’s plane is diplomatically protected: its sovereign territory, so to speak. You just can’t, in effect, force it out of the sky and search it. Since the Europeans don’t have any reason to worry about Snowden, it’s pretty obvious that the U. S. must’ve twisted some arms or called in some chips. But not surprisingly no one’s taking the credit. Morales did allow the Austrians to search his plane – but, along with several fellow members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), protested vigorously.
Could anyone imagine what would’ve happened if, say, China had “persuaded” some African countries that owed it some favours to refuse overflight permission to Obama’s Air Force One, as it jetted from South Africa to Tanzania? And because of the refusal it would run out of fuel and had to land in the Congo? And wait for 14 hours? We’re talking setting off World War III!! We’re setting a very dangerous precedent here. Not because it’s a small country, its president should be humiliated with impunity.
The governments of UNASUR must raise the matter in the United Nations (UN). And whichever countries requested and facilitated this breach of diplomatic protocols must be censured.
…. rescinded
Education Minister Priya Manickchand has reversed the policy on “automatic” promotion in secondary schools.
Exception had been made for students who didn’t obtain the cut-off marks because of fear if they were held back they would “drop out”. It really was a non-starter from the word go. It was just another one of those bright ideas that sounded good because it worked elsewhere.
As Manickchand conceded, those conditions just didn’t exist in Guyana and she couldn’t replicate their introduction. Teachers refused to put in more time, for one. We should note that when they get paid – as with lessons – they have no problem with the extra hours.
Maybe the teachers could’ve been given a stipend to sweeten the offer? Also, lagging students didn’t show any enthusiasm for the extra swotting.
Then again, we have to accept that not every student will be as academically oriented as the present curriculum demands. Those students that fail might have to be placed in different streams – which recognise and reward different skills. Another report showing that primary schools students at National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) were still poor at English, suggest earlier interventions are even more vital.
…. on land lease
We’re not surprised that Khemraj Ramjattan has decided that “ocean front” property is more valuable than others. He thinks we’re in Montego Bay? Our ocean front is threatened mangrove territory. Maybe he should lease all the “ocean front” land lying vacant along the East Coast Demerara.