Aristide’s return

Jamaica, whose Prime Minister, PJ Patterson, is the current Chairman of CARICOM, pointedly disregards the United States of America, when with CARICOM having only recently charged the US with the ousting of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, it prepares to host Aristide in a few days time. Patterson, however, has emphasised that Aristide, who was taken to the Central African Republic following his being ousted, was not seeking political asylum in Jamaica. “Mr Aristide has expressed a wish to return temporarily to the Caribbean with his wife and to be reunited with their two young children, who are currently in the United States,” the Jamaican PM declared. Reported discussions with Trinidad and Tobago on the same issue appeared to have fallen through, and Jamaica, which in recent weeks has given sanctuary to scores of Haitian refugees, granted Aristide’s request.

While we hold firmly to the view of respect for the sovereignty of States, no matter how small, nonetheless we believe it would have been politically inappropriate at this time for Trinidad and Tobago to have entertained any request by Aristide to be allowed to visit this country for the next eight to ten weeks. It would have been a situation almost certain to be exploited by some trade union leaders who have already expressed a determination to shut down the country.

Any taking of their threat to a higher level, particularly in light of the ongoing industrial action by construction workers engaged in the building of Atlantic LNG’s Train Four at Point Fortin, would have added to the international focus on this country created by any visit by Aristide. The crucial difference, though, is that the added focus would have been negative and clearly unwanted. In addition, there would have been the risk of alcontents, acting as agents provocateurs, cynically seeking to exploit the occasion with a possible view to destabilising the Government and country. Any attempt at shutting down the country, should Aristide have visited Trinidad and Tobago rather than Jamaica, would have been embarrassing not only to Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his administration, but to Aristide and the broad mass of TT citizens.

On the industrial action front the main contractor on the construction of Atlantic LNG’s Train Four, Bechtel International, has advised by way of an advertisement to be carried over this weekend that the “minimum wage of a worker who works the 50-hour work week on the Atlantic LNG Train Four Project is $25.40 an hour.” This works out at $5,503 a month. However, should the standard 40-hour work week be applied, the minimum monthly income would still work out at a not to be scoffed at $4,403! Meanwhile, the threat to shut down Trinidad and Tobago may very well be political, both because it parallels the oft repeated threat by the leadership of the Opposition United National Congress to shut down Port-of-Spain and some of the principals are known UNC supporters. In turn, any shutting down of the country, particularly an action connoting political unrest, could act as a to be frowned on damper on needed foreign investment.