Here is the Portugues version of the story:
PETRÓLEO INSTABILIZA O PAÍS
by José Bouças
Ano I I I Edição n.º 798
Quarta-feira,
11 de Maio de 2005
11.05.2005-J.Vitrina-(S. Tomé) -- O petróleo ferve a velocidade cruzeiro e atiça os ânimos em S. Tomé e Príncipe. Na tarde da Segunda-feira o MLSTP/PSD acusou o presidente da república de faltar a verdade e de estar a violar a lei de receita do petróleo em benefício de interesses particulares.Em conferência de imprensa o secretário executivo dos sociais-democratas disse que ficou provado que não há transparência na gestão do dossier. O mais grave segundo Carlos Tiny é que “o presidente da república que jurou defender as leis da república está violando-as de forma consciente”.
O chefe de estado santomense foi ainda acusado de pretender confundir a opinião pública ao afirmar na sexta-feira passada que por causa dos acordos assinados anteriormente com a ERHC e Exon Móbil, S. Tomé e Príncipe perde o direito de decisão nas negociações sobre o dossier petróleo.
Carlos Tiny contraria os argumentos de Fradique de Menezes e afirma que de acordo com o tratado todas as decisões do conselho ministerial conjunto são tomadas por consenso. O que pressupõe que o país tem cinquenta por cento do poder de decisão. Por isso chamou de má fé o presidente da república. “Espanta-nos e não conseguimos compreender que uma equipa tem um treinador que diz aos jogadores antes de entrar para o campo que não vale a pena jogar porque já perdemos” – frisou Tiny.
O secretário executivo do MLSTP/PSD avança ainda que o presidente da república no quadro do dossier petróleo vem chamando a si competências que não tem no quadro da constituição em vigor. Uma atitude que segundo Carlos Tiny não é inocente e nada tem a ver com a defesa dos interesses de S.Tomé e Príncipe. Mas sim, avança, com a intenção do chefe do estado de tirar vantagens pessoais.
O secretário executivo do partido de Guilherme Pósser garantiu também que o presidente da república está a gerir com muita ligeireza e informalidade o dossier mais importante para a nação. “Não se pode conduzir este dossier importante para o presente e futuro do país com reuniões informais em Favorita (residência privada do chefe do estado).”
O partido no governo considera ainda de aberração a nomeação de conselheiro especial para investimentos, um cidadão estrangeiro que tem declaradamente interesses no negócio e é sócio de pelo menos duas empresas que concorreram nesse processo. “ Ainda mais quando esse cidadão segundo informações correntes não estaria vendendo da melhor forma os trinta mil barris que recebe. Não é sinal de competência nomear e manter em funções cidadãos nacionais, como é o caso de Nando Rita, em que o próprio presidente da república reconhece que é sócio duma empresa com interesse no dossier petróleo”.
Carlos Tiny vai mais longe e garante que há informações que levam a crer que próprio o presidente da república é accionista da ERHC.
Ao procurador-geral da república o MLSTP/PSD apela para que sejam tomadas medidas que impõem o cumprimento da lei.
13 comments:
Maybe the opposition party in Sao Tome wants to drag this out as long as possible knowing that elections are only a year away.
The longer they drag the process out, the less the likelihood of any major oil discoveries taking place before the election.
Oil discoveries before the election would make Menenez look good and would probably secure his re-election because he chose oil revenues over higher signature bonus payments.
Whereas if this process is stalled and no oil discoveries occur before the election then it makes the opposition party was right and that choosing companies with higher signature bonus payments were the correct way to go.
Bottom line: All of this stalling is hurting Menenez chances for re-election because it minimizes the chances of oil discoveries before the election.
Menenez needs to understand this, sign off on awards, and then begin a PR campaign to win the people over.
Yes Art,
Tiny only has a voice now because awards have not been signed off on. Once the awards are signed off then Tiny will have no voice. Thats why it is imperitive for Menenez to sign off as quickly as possible. The longer he lets this go, the longer Tiny and his cronies will have a voice in the media.
Its kind of like Exxon right after they announced they werent interested in exercising their options. For the next week they had the voice because they were the only ones who could comment on it. And they tried to make it seem as if they just werent interested when in reality it was sour grapes because they knew they couldnt get what they wanted.
The trouble occurring in STP is sadly true. STP ignorantly mortgaged their oil rights to ERHC a few years ago, and are now regretting it. Essentially, Nigeria does get more than 60% since the majority shareholder of ERHC is a Nigerian owned company (Chrome Energy). It's not Menezes' fault, but he's getting the negative fall out now. Those ERHC shareholders bitting their nails now will have to bite a little longer or sell, and let the STP people rightly decide what is in their best interest and not anyone else.
Anonymous 4:55 PM,
With all due respect:
1) It was Sao Tome who signed the agreement with ERHC. If they are not happy with it now they have no one to blame but themselves.
2) ERHC-Offor was instrumental in the establishment of the JDZ treaty. This has allowed Sao Tome the potential to earn billions of dollars in oil revenues. Sao Tome, in reality, ought to be grateful to ERHC.
The media should stop their negative slant towards ERHC and start reporting the facts. ERHC was the one that set this whole process in motion. For that they deserve certain rights. They were the ones who had the foresight and they should be justly rewarded. They have done alot for the region.
FYI, Portuguese Lusa agency carrying story ex-STP with the leader of the junior partner in Sao Tome's government coalition, Patrice Trovoada, saying everyone has erred in the awards process and that it must be corrected - in tandem with Nigeria - to get the islands a better deal.
The story is on Lusa's reserved Portuguese on-line edition (www.lusa.pt) and an English version will likely appear shortly on LusaNews at same address.
My synthesis from the Portuguese:
"We have all erred" in the process, "but we must make corrections to advance and stop making noises", Trovoada, who was sacked as presidential oil adviser Saturday, told a Sao Tome news conference Tuesday.
Criticizing recent JDA actions, the leader of the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party, said the body should work on the basis of technical data, rather than the politcal interests of rival oil companies.
Trovoada, whose father Miguel Trovoada preceeded de Menezes in the presidency, called for "an atmosphere of peace and understanding with the partners," above all Nigeria, to obtain "better advantages" for the archipelago, Lusa reported.
He declined to comment on accusations made Monday by his government ally, the main MLSTP-Social Democratic Party of Prime Minister Damiao Vaz de Almeida, that de Menezes was attemtping to manipulate the JDZ block awards process for his personal gain.
Trovoada, however, described the president's recent initiatives in the process as having been taken "too early", Lusa reported.
x-x-x-x
Note: After the president sacked him, Trovoada told Portugal´s RDP-Africa radio that both STP and Nigeria´s presidents should keep themselves out of the oil fray at this juncture, saving themselves as "fuses" in the volatile process.
G'nite,
Joe,
I hope you are able to track down those like the cowardly anonymous poster at 5:33 PM who has to resort to name calling.
I wonder why the Nigerian press has been so silent?
Help!
The dual dynamics of the JDZ awards process is getting me confused. Can someone suggest where I could read up on the history of EHRC´s dealings with STP and the bilateral STP-Nigerian treaty?
Twud help if it were simple, basic as I know nothing about the oil sector.
Thanks,
The Sao Tomans have known what the treaty was for some time now. It is not like this is new information.
If they were going to complain about it they should have done so years ago. They shouldnt have waited until after the award process was complete to start complaining.
That tells you this is all politics. Nothing more nothing less.
Just a Few big mOuth's in Sao Tome ... If the people don't like it they can take it out on Trovoada's in next years eletion... Trovoad's daddy cut the deal... people aren't able to feed themselves sad...
Joe you are a little behind in your news reporting tonight.
Oiljunior posted an article tonight on RB.
Sorry - Blogspot was down for a long time. Homeport, here is the information you asked for:
http://www.iss.org.za/AF/profiles/saotome/research.htm
Joe
Thanks form the info, Sir Shea.
Bests,
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