Caricom Heads to discuss Guyana’s political crisis at specially-convened meeting next week

Leaders of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) are expected to convene a special meeting next week to discuss Guyana’s current political and electoral impasse.

This was disclosed by current Chairman of Caricom, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, during an interview on Jamaican radio station The Edge105.3FM hosted by ‘Richie B’ on Thursday morning.
According to Prime Minister Gonsalves, the heads are awaiting the outcome of current legal actions engaging the Guyana High Court before meeting.
Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George on Wednesday indicated that after today’s marathon hearing of submissions, a decision is likely for Sunday in the matter filed by APNU/AFC agent Misegna Jones, who is seeking to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from making a declaration of the elections results based on the recount figures.
As such, the Caricom Chairman indicated that the regional leaders are likely to meet as early as Monday or Tuesday next week, to discussion Guyana’s situation.
“I was in discussion with the SG (Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque) on Wednesday and we agreed to await the decision from the Guyana Courts, because there is another meandering which took place there, and then we’ll have another meeting early in the [new] week…,” PM Gonsalves stated.
Meanwhile on the heels of the United States (U.S) imposing visa restrictions against persons and their immediate family members who are responsible and complicit in undermining Guyana’s democracy, Dr Gonsalves said it would be premature to say whether Caricom would follow suit.
“I wouldn’t be able, without a meeting of the Heads, to speak on that, and it would be premature for me to speak on that. But, clearly, Caricom has spoken, and spoken with one voice. Look, we have to defend democracy… This thing is taking too long. It’s a blot on Guyana, it’s a blot on Caricom, and we can’t be indifferent to what is happening,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister did note, however, that there are “different actions” available that Caricom can take, but he did not elaborate on what those options are. Currently, Guyana benefits from a free trade system and visa-free travel within the other 15 Member States of the regional bloc.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Leader was among a high-level delegation of five regional Heads – led by former Caricom Chair, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley – who had travelled to Guyana back in March to resolve the impasse. He has been vocal on the ongoing political and electoral impasse in Guyana, and has even come under attack for his stance.
As such, Dr Gonsalves, who took over chairmanship of the regional body only earlier this month, dismissed criticisms that Caricom is interfering in Guyana’s internal affairs.
“We’re not interfering, we’re affected; it’s part of us. Guyana has the headquarters of Caricom. Guyana is a foundation member of Caricom. Guyana is a signatory to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. There are certain things which we are enjoined to do together, Guyana is a signatory to the Charter of Civil Society in which we have to hold free and fair elections,” the Caricom Chair contended.
Only Wednesday, in an opinion piece, Dr Gonsalves condemned vile attacks that have been launched against leaders in the region as well as staff of the Caricom Secretariat located at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
“We are in solidarity with the people of Guyana. We defend, on an ongoing basis, the territorial integrity of Guyana. Today, Caricom defends democracy in Guyana; we defend the voters of Guyana; we are on the side of the angels in the stand-off between those who reject the people’s verdict and those who insist, properly, on its observance, recognition, formal declaration, and implementation,” he asserted.
The Caricom Chair further stated that he is deeply disturbed at reports that politically-aligned persons in Georgetown have been threatening, defaming, and verbally abusing leading personalities in the Caricom Secretariat, including Secretary-General LaRocque. This, he underscored, is wholly unacceptable.
“We must continue fearlessly to do the right thing. The evil of the anti-democratic brigands must not be allowed any space to triumph. I await, soonest, the declaration by the Chair of GECOM of the results of the elections. It is long over-due!” the Caricom Chairman reaffirmed in his op-ed.
The 15-member regional bloc is not the only body of which Guyana is a signatory that will be meeting to discuss the country’s ongoing electoral crisis.
In fact, Secretary-General Luis Almagro of the Organization of American States (OAS) has written to Chair of the Permanent Council earlier this week, seeking support to call a meeting of the Permanent Council “to deal with the situation of the electoral process in Guyana”.
Back in May, former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who had led the OAS Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to monitor Guyana’s March 2 elections, told the Permanent Council “I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election”.
The OAS has also been vocal on Guyana’s situation, and only last week called for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to remove persons hindering democratic process as well as for a credible conclusion of the protracted electoral process, so that Guyana can remain a democracy. (G-8)