Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 13, 2019 Letters
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday refused to fix no timeline for general elections, but the Court made it quite clear that the coalition government can only function as a caretaker type administration. However, at the same time the Court failed to issue coercive orders. The CCJ’s firm decision is rather disappointing to non government supporters, but the President, Justice Adrian Saunders, emphasized that the Constitution prohibits the Court from intervening on political aspects of the country, but in my view a long and dark road lies ahead since the issue of appointing a GECOM Chairman will prolong and as a result the election machinery cannot be put in place. The big question what will happen in the interim? Can a country function for a long time with merely a caretaker government?
The CCJ is the judicial arm of CARICOM and although the CCJ was inaugurated 14 years ago only four countries: Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica have abolished appeals to the Privy Council and accepted the CCJ as the final Court. Over the years, maybe for decades, there have been criticisms of the regional Body. These questions came up from time to time: Has CARICOM outlived its usefulness? Has it ever served the purpose it was established to do by its founding leaders in 1973 when the Treaty was signed in Trinidad and Tobago by Guyana’s Forbes Burnham, Jamaica’s Michael Manley, Barbados Errol Barrow, and Trinidad Eric Williams and known as the Chaguaramas Declaration. In just a few short years, CARICOM was being accused of not delivering and at one time was described as CARIGONE.
The regional movement was established mainly to have trade and working relationship among its members as well as freedom of movement among others. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) emphasized the free movement issue when it ruled a few years ago in the Shanique Myrie case. It awarded substantial damages to that Jamaican woman who was harassed at the Barbados Airport and refused entry. There have been numerous complaints by regional Prime Ministers that their citizens were denied jobs in certain countries, especially Barbados, and there was dissatisfaction that a few countries prefer to buy goods from countries outside the region. Another complaint is that the regional Body is not effective and that the administrative staff is tardy and at times do not carry out the wishes of the governments. A new complaint is that the regional body is bias and not representing genuine causes from Guyana while vigorously taking up issues concerning Venezuela and Haiti and closed its eyes on Guyana, which houses CARICOM headquarters. Even regional commentators shy away from the flagrant disregard of the rule of law in Guyana. I wonder why. Is it they do not want to “rock the boat”?
I wish to comment on an interview I had with Sir Shridath Ramphal nearly a decade ago in Barbados. He said that CARICOM has a functional unity, but we have lost our way in governance at regional level”. This situation has not changed as a matter of fact it is worse. Several other Caribbean leaders have also complained about the lackadaisical attitude of the Georgetown based organisation.
Oscar Ramjeet
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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