Panday: Caricom too late to save Haiti

TOO LITTLE, too late. This was how Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday described yesterday’s emergency Caricom leaders’ summit in Kingston, Jamaica to decide how the regional body could assist strife-torn Haiti. “Caricom appears to have abdicated its responsibility. Caricom appears to be very lax,” Panday told Newsday. He said the scenario being played out in Haiti appears to be a case of deja vu and recalled that in 1994, Caricom military forces went into Haiti as part of a 6,000-strong United Nations mission only after escalating violence in that Caribbean nation was quelled by a US military intervention. American, French and Canadian troops have landed in Haiti since Sunday when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left the country. Panday said Caricom should have reacted quicker to Haiti’s plight, approaching government and opposition representatives to find out how peace could be restored to Haiti.

“You can’t sit down and talk peace when people are killing each other in the streets,” he said grimly. Panday further stated that once they were invited by the Haitian authorities, Caricom troops should have been the first to land on Haitian soil, not non-Caricom military forces. Panday was uncertain what Caricom could do now to help Haiti or how much difference Caricom soldiers would make as part of this international stability force. He said once peace is restored to Haiti, the next critical task is building strong democratic institutions and ensuring that they function properly. Recalling allegations of corruption and stolen elections under Aristide, Panday said people in TT could learn many poignant lessons from what is happening in Haiti today and must ensure that the Haitian experience is never repeated here.