CARICOM’S DILEMMA

The announcement by interim Haitian Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue, that he wished to attend the upcoming Caricom Heads of Government in St Kitts presents the Regional body with a particularly difficult dilemma. Latortue’s declared decision, coming as it does while deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is on a two-month visit to Jamaica, places the Regional body in the position of having to choose between clearly embarrassing alternatives. Additionally, Caricom which has indicated it was not satisfied that Aristide left Office and Haiti of his own free will, has called upon the United Nations to have an independent investigation to determine the circumstances of Aristide’s demitting Office.

Should Caricom accept the interim Haitian Government’s right to attend the Heads of Government Conference before Aristide’s official status is determined, this might be viewed as an implied recognition of the new regime and a tacit dismissal of Aristide’s insistence that he is still President of Haiti. However, should Caricom reject the interim Haitian Government’s right to be represented at the Conference this would be a public rebuff of the regime. The damage could be difficult to repair, at least as long as the provisional Administration or another that flows directly out of it, is in power. In addition, it could be seen as a snub to the United States of America, the country that Aristide maintains forced him out of Office through pressuring him to resign.

The Caribbean Community of Nations, however, can employ as a precedent the strategy it had adopted with respect to the recognition of Maurice Bishop’s New Jewel Movement (NJM) Government of Grenada, following on NJM’s armed overthrow of the constitutionally elected regime of Prime Minister Eric Gairy. The argument can be used that Prime Minister Gerard Latortue’s Government, though Interim, is effectively in control of Haiti, while not ruling out the possibility, however unlikely at this time, of Aristide’s return to Office. This, in essence, will be a conditional recognition of the Interim Government, and make it not only easier for any proposed direct Caricom social and economic assistance to Haiti and for Haitian welcoming of a Caricom peacekeeping force, but for the strengthening of trading links.

As we noted earlier, Caricom has been placed in a difficult position, even unenviable, with Prime Minister Latortue’s request to attend the upcoming Heads of Government Conference. It will have to decide not merely what it considers to be best for Haiti, politically, but what is best for the short, medium and long term development of the social and economic interests of the Caribbean Community of Nations as whole, of which Haiti is a Member State. Of added interest though is that only recently, when it was announced that Aristide would be visiting Jamaica with his wife for purely personal reasons, Latortue had declared that Haiti would consider severing relations with Caricom. Was he persuaded by the United States State Department to reconsider, and if so why was this done? Particular care should be taken by the Member States of Caricom to seek out and weigh the options and form a  common approach to a tricky situation.