Caricom cannot intervene unless democracy, justice breaks down – SG

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) is keeping a close eye on proceedings in Guyana, with its leadership being regularly briefed and in touch with the parties involved in the aftermath of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) rulings on the no-confidence vote cases.
This is according to Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque on Tuesday while being interviewed on the sidelines of an event. He sought to deny reports that Caricom has not been active enough in trying to ensure Guyana remains a democratic and not authoritative State.
“There’s a process ongoing since the no-confidence vote. The process has worked so far, in the sense that the CCJ delivered a judgement and its consequential orders. And the CCJ, in my view, was very, very clear that all the actors concerned, must play their part,” LaRocque told the media.
“As I understand it, there continues to be dialogue among the parties. We continue to monitor everything very closely. I have met with both the President and the Leader of the Opposition on more than one occasion. Following the ruling, I’ve met the Opposition Leader and spoken to the President. So I’m in touch, I’ll continue to be in touch.”
The Secretary General added that the Chairman of Caricom, St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris, is being briefed regularly on the situation and has also reached out to leaders in Guyana. But LaRocque stayed on the side of caution when it comes to taking a more proactive role.
“We’ll continue monitoring this. We remain available to assist if we’re asked to assist. But Caricom does not interfere unless the democratic and judicial process breaks down. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. It doesn’t mean we’re not engaged. We are fully engaged,” he stressed.

Pressure
With the parliamentary Opposition continuing to mount pressure, most of the representatives from the international community have been urging the country’s political players to act swiftly and in compliance with the Constitution, as ordered by the CCJ.
In a joint statement issued recently, members of the diplomatic community in Guyana, including the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, stated that they have taken note of the CCJ’s pronouncements on July 12.
They said it is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by the CCJ’s ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. The diplomats furthered urged that this adherence be done expeditiously.
“The Caribbean Court of Justice – Guyana’s Supreme Court – has spoken. It is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by its ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. We urge everyone to do so expeditiously,” the diplomats said in the joint communique.
This follows statements issued by the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), American Chambers (AmCham) and other sections of society, which also urged compliance with the Court and Constitution.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and other observers have, however, previously called out Caricom for its silence on the Government’s reluctance to adhere to the Constitution of Guyana and the CCJ rulings.