Manning attends Caricom summit

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning left yesterday morning to attend the Ninth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in St Lucia. The meeting takes place today and tommorrow.

Among the critical issues to be discussed by the regional leaders are the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), issues related to the governance of Caribbean countries, key requirements for the implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, and preparations for the region hosting the 2007 World Cup Cricket. Following the last Caricom summit held in Jamaica in July, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said Trinidad and Tobago was embarrassed because of the Opposition UNC’s refusal to support the establishment of the CCJ to replace the Privy Council as the region’s final court of appeal. Manning said while in government, the UNC had supported the CCJ’s establishment and Caricom was willing to send a delegation to TT to assist in resolving the matter.

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said he would not accept Caricom intervention on the CCJ issue and reiterated the UNC’s longstanding position that it would not support the Court unless there is constitutional reform in TT. Panday has also charged that appointments to the Court would be influenced by regional politicians. Legislation to implement the CCJ was laid in the Senate on Tuesday by new Attorney-General John Jeremie. The idea of political union is certain to come up at the St Lucia summit when governance issues are raised. Manning and St Vincent and the Grenadines PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves have discussed this idea openly. However at a Caricom summit in Port-of-Spain in February, Jamaican PM PJ Patterson and his Barbadian counterpart Owen Arthur said they were unclear about what the specifics of political union would entail and the matter needed to be ventilated further. Community Development and Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams will act as Prime Minister until Manning returns home tomorrow.