Grenada opposition backs political union with TT

THE GRENADIAN opposition believes the groundwork for regional political integration has been established and its first manifestation could occur between Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the nations of the Eastern Caribbean. At a news conference in Port-of-Spain on Monday, leader Tillman Thomas said, “Political cooperation has been on the agenda in the Caribbean. We believe all the structures are there, it’s only the political structure. It’s not difficult to work out some form of political unity within the Eastern Caribbean, Trinidad, Barbados.

“We have a common tradition. It’s a matter of coming up with a political structure that is suitable and democratic so that we all can function within it. It is up to the political directorate. The people in the Caribbean are somewhat united to a certain directorate already. The political directorate has to have the will to come up with a structure.” Prime Minister Patrick Manning, St Vincent PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves, and Grenada PM Dr Keith Mitchell have been longstanding advocates for regional political integration. All three men said Hurricane Ivan’s passage through the Caribbean reinforced their case. Last week, TT Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said he believed regional political union to be the natural consequence of regional economic integration, but said this process should be guided by the people of the Caribbean and not necessarily by their respective governments.