US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON1652

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINGSTON 001652 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PDA 
STATE ALSO FOR INL/LP, EB/TPP, AND EB/IFD 
STATE ALSO FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA (RUTH BRANSON) 
STATE PASS OPIC FOR TABERNAKI 
CUSTOMS MIAMI FOR LOWEN AND MAHABIR 
SANTO DOMINGO FOR FCS, FAS, AND LEGATT 
STATE PASS USTR FOR A. GASH-DURKIN 
DOJ FOR OPDAT/ R LIPMAN 
TREASURY FOR L LAMONICA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EFIN, ECON, EINV, JM, KCRM, CASC, EAGR 
SUBJECT: KINGSTON POL/ECON ROUNDUP: JUNE 17-30, 2005 
 
 
1.  This week's topics: 
 
-- Poll Shows Davies Gaining Ground 
-- Six Closer to Extradition to U.S. 
-- JCF Recruits Abroad as Crime Soars 
-- Jamaica to Launch Copyright Campaign 
-- Trade Deficit Deteriorates 
-- Jamaica and China Sign Bauxite Agreement 
-- Thailand Views Jamaica As Possible Hub 
-- Jamaica Unperturbed by U.S. BSE Case 
-- Jamaica Suspends Imports of Chicken 
 
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Poll Shows Davies Gaining Ground 
-------------------------------- 
 
2.  An Embassy contact confirmed reports that an internal 
poll conducted by the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) in June 
revealed that Finance Minister Omar Davies had gained ground 
in the race to succeed Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in 
upcoming general elections, expected to be held in 2006-2007. 
 The poll, which was designed to gauge Opposition Leader 
Bruce Gelding's standing in the succession race, showed that 
Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government, 
Community Development, and Sports, was leading Golding by the 
widest margin, with Davies in second place and National 
Security Minister Peter Phillips in third.  Only Karl Blythe, 
a vice president of the People's National Party, was found in 
the poll to be losing to Golding. 
 
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Six Closer to Extradition to U.S. 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  A Jamaican court yesterday ordered the extradition to the 
United States of one Colombian and five Jamaicans -- 
including a policeman -- to face drug trafficking and money 
laundering charges.  Lawyers for the men, who were making 
their 64th court appearance, have repeatedly challenged 
extradition on the basis of a purported lack of evidence. 
The prosecution, however, rebuffed the defense,s arguments 
and presented the testimony of a key witness, a nephew of one 
of the suspects.  The six now have 15 days to appeal.  The 
magistrate's latest ruling is good news, but, given that the 
proceedings have dragged on for more than a year, and that 
all of six appear determined (and financially capable) to 
pursue all lines of appeal to their limit, Post cautions that 
additional delays may yet be in store.  Embassy is seeking a 
meeting with the Director of Public Prosecution to get his 
sense of the legal state-of-play. 
 
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JCF Recruits Abroad as Crime Soars 
---------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Apparently pleased with the performance of Mark 
Shields, a senior Scotland Yard veteran on secondment to the 
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) as deputy commissioner in 
charge of crime, the JCF is reported to be recruiting more 
foreign cops to fill its top ranks.  Newspaper ads for four 
assistant commissioner positions have reportedly appeared in 
newspapers in Britain, Australia, Canada, and the United 
States.  Prior to advertising the jobs publicly, the JCF 
attempted to recruit additional officers in the United 
Kingdom without success, due in part to a shortage of senior 
U.K. officers, but perhaps also because of Jamaica's soaring 
murder rate.  With more than 845 killings by the end of June, 
murders are on track to top 1,700 by year-end, which would 
make 2005 another all-time record for the island.  In 2004, 
Jamaica had one of the world's highest per capita murder 
rates.  Shields recently speculated to Poloff that Jamaica 
must be one of the world's most difficult policing 
environments.  He was hopeful that foreign officers on 
long-term assignments in Jamaica would serve to modernize the 
police force. 
------------------------------------ 
Jamaica To Launch Copyright Campaign 
------------------------------------ 
 
4.  The GOJ and the Jamaica Exporters' Association (JEA) are 
getting help from the World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO) to launch a campaign against the 
bootlegging of "brand Jamaica."  The campaign is expected to 
include legal action demanding the cessation of the illegal 
use of the country brand and, in some cases, to seek 
remuneration.  Dr. Andre Gordon, president of the JEA, 
estimated that the country is losing billions of U.S. dollars 
per year to bootlegging.  Producers from Guatemala, Costa 
Rica, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and the Dominican Republic are the 
main infringers, with products ranging from drink mixes to 
canned ackees and jerk seasonings.  Jamaica has TRIPS 
compliant copyright laws, but remains a special 301 "Watch 
List" country because its patent law is not TRIPS compliant. 
 
-------------------------- 
Trade Deficit Deteriorates 
-------------------------- 
 
5.  Jamaica's trade deficit widened by 20 percent to USD 
652.1 million during January to March 2005.  The 
deterioration in the deficit stemmed from the 11.3 percent 
reduction in export earnings and the 7 percent increase in 
imports.  Export earnings suffered from problems plaguing the 
sugar industry, while increasing international oil prices are 
fueling imports.  The current result is a turnaround from the 
gains made in 2004, when export earnings benefited from the 
lagged effects of the 2003 currency depreciation and the 
strengthening of the euro against the U.S. dollar.  The 
depreciation made Jamaican exports and services, such as 
tourism, more attractive to foreigners, while the 
strengthening euro increased sugar earnings and diverted 
American visitors from Europe to the Caribbean. 
 
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Jamaica and China Sign Bauxite Agreement 
---------------------------------------- 
 
6.  On June 20, during Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's 
five-day official visit to Beijing, the GOJ and China signed 
four bilateral agreements covering bauxite, education, and 
technical cooperation.  The agreements, signed by Development 
Minister Paul Robertson on behalf of Jamaica, include 
cooperation between the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Jamaica 
Bauxite Mining Limited, and China Minmentals Corporation. 
Minmentals will study the feasibility of participating in the 
establishment of a bauxite mining and alumina refinery 
facility in Jamaica with a projected 1.4 million tons of 
annual capacity. 
-------------------------------------- 
Thailand Views Jamaica As Possible Hub 
-------------------------------------- 
 
7.  Jamaica could derive significant economic benefits if 
Thailand makes good on its intention to use the island as its 
commercial hub from which to conduct business with the rest 
of the Caribbean.  A delegation of business leaders and 
government officials from Thailand is set to visit Jamaica 
for talks with their local counterparts on the proposal. 
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who was apprised of the plans 
on June 16 during bilateral talks with Thailand's deputy 
prime minister, welcomed the move.  Patterson noted that the 
idea was timely, given that the Caribbean single market will 
come into force by early 2006. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Jamaica Unperturbed by U.S. BSE Case 
------------------------------------ 
 
8.  (SBU) Jamaica's Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke, and 
Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Headley Edwards, have 
discredited the Opposition Jamaica Labor Party's call for a 
ban on U.S. beef products in light of the identification of a 
second case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the 
United States.  Clark and Edwards told P/E Chief and FAS FSN 
on June 27 that, based on Jamaica,s existing sanitary / 
phytosanitary regulations, which are informed by the Office 
of International Epizooties guidelines, and the rigor, 
continuity, and transparency of the U.S. BSE testing and 
monitoring program, there is no additional risk to public or 
animal health in Jamaica from the second case of BSE in the 
United States.  The Minister further stated that, given the 
time profile of the U.S. feed ban, his ministry is aware of 
the possibility of other animals in the U.S. cattle 
population being infected with BSE.  However, such animals 
would not pose any additional risk to Jamaica,s beef supply, 
said Clarke, as imports are limited to muscles derived from 
animals that are less than thirty months old. 
 
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Jamaica Suspends Imports of Chicken 
----------------------------------- 
 
9.  In response to the recent intense agitation by Jamaica's 
two large broiler companies - Jamaica Broilers and Caribbean 
Broilers ) regarding the alleged illegal influx of imported 
chicken leg quarters from the United States, Jamaica's 
Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke, has announced a 
suspension of import permits for chicken backs and necks from 
the U.S. until an investigation is conducted.  According to 
Clarke, chicken leg quarters, which attract a 260 percent 
import duty, are being imported into Jamaica under the 
disguise of duty-free chicken backs and necks from the United 
States, to the detriment of the local poultry industry. 
 
10. Minimize considered. 
TIGHE