Caricom SME — soon come

By ANTHONY GOMES




PRECIOUS little has been reported in the media about the outcome of the 31st meeting of Caricom Heads of Government in Montego Bay. Apart from the sparse attendance by Heads of Government that can only be described as disappointing, the meeting was successful in bringing to the fore the three cardinal issues that for years have haunted the agenda of the conference. These are the issues of governance, that is, leadership, difficulties with intra-Caricom trade, the selection of a new Caricom Secretary General and reform of the Secretariat.

However, we are encouraged by Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar's expression of goodwill by promising to address several trade disputes existing between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The PM made reference to concerns about a "few perceived issues" related to the cost of production and inputs in both Trinidad and Jamaica, which would include the preferential cost of energy in Trinidad. She said, "We will assess and reassess and review, and where we can find amicable solutions that will endure and enure for the benefit of our people here in Jamaica and in Trinidad and Tobago."

The PM continued, "Now is not the time for the regional business community to be combative rather desperately, we need to join forces to impact in a sustainable way on the international scenario, so let us not in some ways concentrate on our differences and engage in warfare in the region." These remarks are well intentioned, indicating where the inquiry process should begin and the amicable attitude that should prevail.

The foregoing comments were well received and it is now clear that the PM is aware of our continued "bleating and bitching" about these "perceived issues" over the years. It is certainly not the intention to be "combative" as the issues at hand are legitimate trade problems encountered as part of our developing Caribbean trade regime, to be settled within the purview of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas without recourse to the World Trade Organisation, if possible.

The PM also gave advice on how the two states can enjoy successful commercial relationships. Three changes for improvement were recommended. First, engage in innovative improvements to their businesses. Second, create alliances between the business communities of both countries. Third, engage in meetings to discuss ways in which businesses could establish partnerships. These business liaisons are already in progress evidenced by the continuing investment by Trinidadian interests in new projects being developed in Jamaica. However, as the adage goes, "The largest room in the world is the room for improvement", and so we support and concur with the offered advice.

Regarding the paramount issue of governance, PM Golding as Chair of Caricom for the next six months said, "We acknowledge that there is an issue with governance, and we have not solved that problem. We are aware of the proposal to put in place a permanent executive commission or a group of commissioners who have executive powers and then, in effecting the decisions of heads, would translate it to a domestic legislation with a certain amount of automaticity. There is need for continuity and follow-up. There is need for coordination to ensure that those decisions can be implemented." We await the report of the sub-committee in January 2011 covering this key proposal for a Caribbean Commission. The issue of the inequitable terms of trade between the states has been dealt with above.

The selection of a successor to the Caricom Secretary General and reform of the Secretariat should be the subject of a Technical Working Group study. The world's largest current service industry is "bureaucracy" creating a multilayered structure comprising organs, bodies, treaty entities, installations and associate institutions in Caricom which excels in job creation but slows to a moribund pace of implementation of constructive decisions. To be relevant to Caricom today, it has to be reorganised from bottom up and turned into a lean, mean, multifaceted machine, equipped to manage the electronic speed of business today, without the "paper chase" that accompanies the conduct of the Secretariat's business dealings.

A point of high importance which passed unnoticed without comment, was reported by Rickey Singh in this newspaper on July 7, that referred to Trinidad's PM openly speaking about her government's reservations: "...as well as against a commitment to any form of political integration with the sub-region of the OECS as had been signalled by her predecessor, Patrick Manning." Such an outstanding rejection will surely reverberate throughout the Eastern Caribbean, but will reinforce Caricom's unity.

Mission: "The Caribbean Court of Justice shall perform to the highest standards as the supreme judicial organ in the Caribbean Community. In its Original Jurisdiction it insures uniform interpretation and applications of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, thereby underpinning and advancing the Caricom Single Market and Economy. As the final court of appeal for member states of the Caribbean Community, it fosters the development of an indigenous Caribbean Jurisprudence."

There should be no rush to enjoin the CCJ in its original jurisdiction on the sensitive issue of disadvantaged trade in Caricom. The issue could be resolved by dialogue, investigation and conciliation, given the goodwill and understanding expressed by Kamla Persad-Bissessar during her visit to Jamaica. As with all things temporal, should the critical path as suggested not succeed, then referral to the CCJ should be considered. It is sincerely hoped that such recourse would not come to pass.

July 14, 2010

jamaicaobserver

Bahamas Blog International

Haiti could be Caricom’s big chance

JEAN LOWRIE-CHIN



EVEN as our Caricom heads are projecting sweetness and light, their largest member state, Haiti, remains doubled over in pain from the January 12 earthquake.

For us UWI alumni, there was indeed a Caribbean oneness on campus that persists today in close friendships and marriages. Yet we have made little effort to promote this feeling of kinship among the general populace.

What a fantastic signal we would send to the world – “to the world!” – if we could make Haiti the focus of a Caricom-UWI restoration project. In last Thursday's New York Times three professors of engineering from the respected Georgia Tech wrote about the staggering volume of earthquake debris literally standing in the way of the country's recovery.

Reginald DesRoches, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Ozlem Ergun and Julie Swann, associate professors of industrial and systems engineering and codirectors of the Centre for Health and Humanitarian Logistics, described the monumental challenge left by an earthquake that took 300,000 lives and destroyed 280,000 homes and businesses.

“The quake left an astonishing amount of debris, including concrete and rebar from collapsed buildings, destroyed belongings and human remains,” they wrote. “Twenty million to 25 million cubic yards of debris fill the streets, yards, sidewalks and canals of Port-au-Prince.”

They said initial efforts were promising, but now there is little coordination of the clearing, funded by the European Union and USAID. “Haitians, at best, breaking concrete and loading trucks by hand and, at worst, just moving bricks from one side of a road to the other,” they commented. “Many workers lack masks or gloves. While this inefficient process may put money into the hands of Haitians, it only further slows rebuilding.”

They are calling for the United Nations, the World Bank and agencies like USAID, in conjunction with the Haitian government, to “create a task force focused on debris removal to coordinate the clean-up efforts of the hodgepodge of aid groups in the country.”

Caricom should blush that they are not even mentioned in this suggestion. Yet Haiti accounts for more than half of the population of Caricom – nine of 16 million, the total population of the 15-member states. Where could our region go if nine million of our poorest were finally put on a path to prosperity? Haitians are among the region's most talented artists and artisans. If you have ever seen the beautiful gates and rails in Haiti, you would realise how gauche most of our welders are here in Jamaica. The benefits would be mutual.

It is true that the University of the West Indies has turned out some of the finest engineers, many of whom are now senior executives in powerful international companies. It is true that UWI's graduates have written about the history of such heroes as Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian general who defeated Napoleon's army. It is very true that our campus has yielded the majority of heads of state in the English-speaking Caribbean – this same Caricom of which Haiti is a member state.

We have the resources and should most certainly have the heart to be the turning point for our neighbour. What a sea change it would be for our region, if all our heads of state galvanised their finest engineers and planners to make Haiti's recovery a speedy reality.

It can happen! Does the leadership of Caricom believe that it was a coincidence that for the first time, a UN Secretary General was in attendance at a Caricom Summit? Ban Ki Moon must have left Jamaica for Haiti with a heavy heart. I am sure he was hoping he would have had a more positive and dynamic plan from these distinguished leaders to take to the battered Haitians.

What is more, the restoration of Haiti could address the huge problem of joblessness in the region. Our school leavers could learn valuable lessons from an energetic stint in Haiti, working as part of a professionally planned mission to rebuild the country.

The Georgia Tech professors believe it can be done. “The task force should identify critical facilities, like hospitals and schools, and the roads that approach them, to clear first,” they suggest. “It should lay down environmental regulations for debris disposal and landfill management, and regulate the use of cash-forwork programmes. There's no reason these can't continue, but more of the money should be allocated to bringing in heavy equipment and expertise. This kind of task force would serve as a model for future disasters.”

How can it be that 27 states of Europe with a population of over 500 million could arrive at a legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights in 2009, while our 15 small states of Caricom still cannot come to such an agreement? Why are we still acting like crabs in a barrel, even as we stand close and smiling for the photo-op? It is the EU that is helping Haiti while we preside over our persistent poverty. The UWI that I attended certainly did not subscribe to such values. Let us do what we promised ourselves we would, as brave young graduates. By challenging ourselves to create a new Caribbean, we can indeed change the world.

Hasta la vista, World Cup

By the time this column goes to press, the whistle would have signalled the end of an exciting and heart-stopping World Cup. I must confess I shed tears when Ghana came so close to beating Uruguay but lost their nerve in that final minute. Like most Jamaicans, I had been backing Brazil, even when my husband Hubie declared from the begining that Spain would be the champions. Since this goes to press before the final, I can only hope Spain has won, as Hubie takes these results very seriously. In spite of the French debacle, we can say that we saw a splendid World Cup, and we were hugely proud of South Africa who proved to be magnificent hosts. See you in Brazil in 2014!

RJR's 60th

We have been enjoying the nostalgic programming on RJR94 as the radio station celebrates its 60th anniversary. We owe a debt to this media house for preserving high standards in every aspect of their business. Thanks to Alan Magnus and Dorraine Samuels for helping us to start each day on a positive note, and journalists like Earl Moxam and Dionne Jackson-Miller who have kept the station “consistently credible”. Kudos to Chairman JA Lester Spaulding for his visionary leadership through the years.

lowrie-chin@aim.com


lowrie-chin.blogspot.com

July 12, 2010

jamaicaobserver

Bahamas Blog International

Kamla was the star of the Montego Bay summit... but

by Oscar Ramjeet:


Kamla Persad Bissessar, the new prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago definitely stole the show at the recently concluded summit of CARICOM Heads of State at Montego Bay, Jamaica, not only for her nimble dance moves, and calypso relics, but for her tough, no nonsense talk, and sympathy shown to the unfortunate abandoned, mental and AIDS children at the "Mustard Seed"

The 58-year-old attorney, who spent 14 years of her life in Jamaica as a student and teacher, said that she was a Caribbean woman, but made it quite clear she would not be dishing out money to assist regional countries as was done by her predecessor, Patrick Manning. Issuing the Jamaican politicos with a stern warning, "Move from mi stall, unna think is a ATM machine dis."

Press reports from Kingston state that Kamla, who went on her first tour as prime minister, quickly became the darling of the region by singing and dancing at the "Jamaica night" party, when she swept into the dance floor immediately after her arrival and, minutes after, she grabbed the microphone and sang the lyrics of "One Love", the Bob Marley anthem that had formed part of her campaign repertoire for the May 24 elections.

However, after pointing out the constraints on the economy at home, she made it quite clear at the Summit that the twin island republic will no longer carry the bag with the goodies, but would rather seek relationships with her Caribbean partners that "pull their weight" rather than those who seek handouts.

She told her colleagues that she will withdraw her country's funding for several regional programmes, which include patrol and surveillance in the region to develop stronger and more effective countermeasures to the incursions of the drug trade. She also told businessmen at a luncheon that she would "find amicable solutions" to the issues between business operating in both countries.

She urged Jamaican and Trinidad and Tobago's business leaders to participate in a three-pronged effort to drive innovative improvements, deepen alliances between each nation's business communities and to explore more meaningful partnerships.

The former attorney general also said that there was need to join forces to impact in a sustainable way on the international scenario and added, “So let us not in some ways concentrate on our differences and engage in warfare in the region."

The Guardian newspaper, in an editorial on Sunday, stated, "It is incumbent on the Prime Minister and her Trade Minister to ensure that there is adequate follow through on her promises to defuse the source of those differences and review the complaints of Jamaican manufacturers and exporters in the best interests of developing strong regional trade partners."

Persad Bissesssar made it clear at the Summit that Trinidad and Tobago would be retiring from its role as Caribbean financial godfather in favour of regimes that engaged more co-operative regional efforts at driving the many initiatives of CARICOM that have languished over the years.

But former Caribbean diplomat, business consultant and regional commentator, Sir Ronald Sanders, took issue with Kamla for her ATM machine utterance, contending that "such statements would not endear Trinidad and Tobago to the rest of the CARICOM countries, nor would it encourage citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to regard other CARICOM citizens with anything but contempt."

In fact, Sir Ronald went further to state, "In reality, the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and other CARICOM countries, particularly the small nations of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is far more beneficial than is conveyed by the analogy of the ‘ATM machine’. Other CARICOM countries are a lucrative protected market for Trinidad and Tobago manufactured products and financial services under CARICOM Treaty. Were it not for the membership of CARICOM, those countries could purchase most of what they buy from Trinidad and Tobago at cheaper prices elsewhere in the world."

July 12, 2010

caribbeannetnews

Bahamas Blog International

Caricom's 'Governance' Dilemma

By Rickey Singh




THE 31st annual Heads of Government Conference of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) concluded in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Wednesday, July 7 with little hope of any progress being made by the 37-year-old regional economic integration movement in the immediate future.

Hopes raised midway the four-day event for a new approach to ensure realistic and appropriate management of today's challenges, caused by the global economic and political crises, were dashed when the leaders backed off at the close of the conference.

Not surprisingly, they have scheduled another "special meeting", for September this year, to consider likely alternative governance models for better management.

In its normally lively 'discussion forum', the BBC Caribbean Service has been encouraging responses to the provocative question: "Does Caricom have a future?"

This discussion took place while the Community's Heads of Government were still wrestling with the cynicism and disenchantment their inactions have spawned over repeated failures to implement decisions, unanimously taken, for progress towards the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).

While the official communiqué was not available to the region's media at the time of writing (Thursday, July 8), the comments that flowed at an end-of-summit press conference on Wednesday made it sufficiently clear that the elusive governance issue had once again proved a barrier the leaders were still unprepared to scale.

Diminishing credibility

It is a failure that could only deepen concerns over Caricom leaders' credibility and commitment to make the Community's flagship project -- a single economic space in a region that constitutes a microcosm of the world's peoples, cultures and varying levels of social and economic development -- a reality either in this decade or the next.

Often viewed by Latin American, African and Asian blocs as a cohesive and productive experiment in regional economic integration, Caricom has done reasonably well in terms of functional cooperation and foreign policy coordination.

However, when it comes down to implementation of decisions on major issues involving critical segments of its treaty-based arrangements for inauguration of a single market and economy, therein lies the rub.

Their failures, which are rooted in a lack of collective political will to overcome parochialism and a narrow sense of nationalism in favour of a shared vision of "one people, one market, one Caribbean", continue to afflict Caricom. Consequently, a sense of alienation and defeatism, if not the "despair" alluded to in the BBC Caribbean discussion forum on "Caricom's future", has spread.

The announcement by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in his capacity as Caricom's new chairman, that a committee of prime ministers has been identified to make proposals for the forthcoming "special meeting" of heads in September to address alternative forms of governance cannot be considered as anything of significance.

The Community has gone that way before with "Prime Ministerial Working Groups" and high-level committees of regional technocrats. The upcoming September meeting seems destined to do what Trinidadians call "spinning top in mud".

Amid the expanding "word game" on Caricom's future governance, more and more Heads of Government are pushing for more action and less talk. They are simply reprimanding themselves, but given the current circumstance, it is an appropriate rebuke.

Ironically, in rushing to announce a prime ministerial committee to consider a new 'governance' architecture, leaders present in Montego Bay seem to have forgotten to include the prime minister of Belize, Dean Barrow, who holds lead responsibility on governance and justice in Caricom's quasi-cabinet system. Or did he decline to serve?

July 11, 2010


jamaicaobserver

Bahamas Blog International

Bahamas: National pride is heightened as Bahamians' 37th anniversary of independence from Great Britain is observed: July 10, 1973 - July 10, 2010

National pride heightened as independence is observed
By JASMIN BONIMY
Guardian Staff Reporter
jasmin@nasguard.com:



At a time when the effects of the global economic recession continue to grip the country and violent crime is at an all time high, some residents say they are prouder than ever to be Bahamian.

Their pride comes as the nation celebrates its 37th anniversary of independence today. Despite the grim economic and social conditions over the past few months, many Bahamians said they plan to overlook their worries this holiday weekend.

The people The Nassau Guardian spoke to insisted that there is still much to be proud of as the nation turns 37.

Marcia Hutcheson, a street vendor and owner of VIP Productions, a stall that specializes in Bahamian merchandise, said, "There are problems no matter where you are in the world, but in The Bahamas we are doing well. So I am proud to be a Bahamian.

"We are in a recession and everybody is still surviving. We're helping each other out so we can all do well. Regardless of whatever, we are going to wear our colors because we are an independent and proud people."

Zarria Moxey, a teenager, said she loves celebrating independence because it is the only time everything Bahamian is truly embraced.

"I like all of the festivals that we celebrate like Crab Fest and the regattas on different islands," said the 16-year-old.

For some who have traveled the world and experienced other cultures, like Michael Thurston, there is no place like home.

"The Bahamas is one of the best places in the world," said Thurston. "I have been here most of my life but I've done a lot of traveling. But I love The Bahamas, I love the Bahamian people, but most of all I love the Kalik beer."

Charity Brennen, who attended the first Independence Day celebrations on July 10, 1973, said, "I was born here and there is no other place I'd like to be."

For 67-year-old Franklyn Dorsette, the nation's growth and development over the past 37 years is what defines Bahamian history.

"I am proud of The Bahamas simply because we are free from all sorts of things that would impede us," he said, "that is freedom of speech and freedom of worship. In many other countries they aren't as lucky."

In his independence message to the nation, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said celebrations are tempered by what has become a prolonged global economic downturn.

"However, we are a resilient people, resourceful and creative in times of hardship," he said. "We are heartened by the promise of the beginning of recovery and we look forward to improved economic times in the months ahead."

7/9/2010

The Nassau Guardian

Bahamas Blog International

Mafiosi buy votes to prevent travel to Cuba

By Gabriel Molina:




THE U.S. Chamber of Commerce has surprised congress members by warning that it proposes to "monitor votes" on the bipartisan bill aiming to reestablish the right for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba and sell food to the island in a more normal way.

The tone of letters expressing support for a relaxation of the measures against Cuba never implied a virtual threat like it does now.

Bruce Josten, lobbying chief for the Chamber of Commerce, said that they will watch the count closely if the bill – passed on June 30 by the Agriculture Committee – gets to the floor.

The unusual warning came after an exposé by the Federal Elections Commission over vote-buying by the U.S. Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee (PAC), which prompts the Miami ultra-right Cuban-American lobby, which has directed more than $73,000 in the first four months of 2010 to block approval of the bill.

The PAC "donated" around $11 million to close to 400 candidates and legislators between 2004 and 2008. According to a statement from the Public Campaign non-party group, 53 Democratic legislators received more than $16,000 per head and at least 18 of them changed their position.

Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart and Democratic Senator Robert Menéndez have benefited the most.

A survey taken in 2008 by World Public Opinion concluded that 70% of U.S. citizens are in favor of travel to Cuba. Among Cuban Americans, 55% are against the so-called embargo.

For example, Congressman Mike McIntyre, Democrat, North Carolina, said that he had spoken with Miami Republicans Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart about their family’s experience in Fidel Castro’s Cuba and he changed his vote "because of the horrors that they suffered." It is not difficult to realize that that experience is only one of support for the Batista dictatorship, given that Rafael J. Díaz-Balart, founder of the dynasty and the grandfather of Lincoln and Mario, was the legal adviser of the United Fruit Company in Banes – likewise the birthplace of Fulgencio Batista. He was government minister from 1952 to 1958. His son Rafael, father of the congressmen, was deputy minister.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat for Weston, has received $75,700 from the Committee; Kendrick Meek, Miami Democrat, is at eighth place on the list. Montana Republican Denny Rehberg changed from being an enthusiastic opponent of the blockade to voting in favor of the prohibitions, after receiving $10,500 from the PAC.

As majority leader, in 2004 legislator Tom DeLay prevented the restoration of U.S. citizens’ right to travel to Cuba, which had been passed with a wide majority in both Houses via a bipartisan initiative. DeLay made the bill disappear in complicity with the Díaz-Balarts.

The Cuban travel ban was established close to half a century ago, in January 1961, by Dwight Eisenhower. At the end of his term, President William Clinton eased travel to Cuba in order to win influence on the island. But President George W. Bush prohibited it again, in order to thank ultra-right Cuban Americans whose vote fraud in Florida made it possible to strip Al Gore, the Democratic candidate, of the presidency.

Bill HR 4645 is sponsored by 62 congress members, led by Democrat Collin Peterson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, and Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas, and is backed by more than 140 business, social, economic, political and religious organizations.

In addition to the Chamber of Commerce and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), which groups together more than 300 important U.S. companies, these include USA Engage and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), which also sent letters of support to legislators. As did the Council of Churches (Protestants) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the American Farm Bureau Federation; the Fund for Reconciliation and Development and the National Corn Growers Association.

General James Hill, ex-commander in chief of the Southern Command; General Barry McCaffrey, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Colin Powell, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and nine more former high level members of that country’s Armed Forces have acknowledged that the current policy of isolating Cuba has failed. José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch, expressed the same sentiment in a Congress hearing. All those players agree that the initiative is not doing away with the embargo (blockade), but is of high interest to the United States.

Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, cited a study undertaken last March by Texas A&M University, which revealed that reducing restrictions on exports to Cuba could start a boom, because it would lead to sales worth $365 million, 6,000 new jobs and an economic impact amounting to $1.1 billion for the country. But Congress is still being subjected to the pressure of bribes distributed by the Miami Mafia with government funds.

Steve Yoder, chair of the NGFA’s Joint Trade Policy A-Team and of the U.S. Grains Council, affirms that the embargo is affecting ranchers and farmers. In the 2008-09 growing season, Cuba was Washington’s tenth-largest corn customer. In order to retain this market Yoder admits that they need to eliminate payments in advance and the requirement to use banks in third countries, provisions that the H.R. 4645 bill would suppress, in addition to the quotas that generally accompany those permits. It also established that the permits will have the same payment requirements as U.S. exports to other countries. So Cuba would not have to pay in advance and in cash before a ship leaves a U.S. port with merchandise for the island.

The bill could be debated in the House after August 8 and it has been said that it needs 13 votes more than those committed to date. In the Senate, Democrat Byron Dorgan and Republican Mike Enzi were confident that a similar bill to that of the House will be passed. They are confirming that they have the 62 votes needed. But Cuban-American Robert Menéndez, chair of the Senate Democrats, has threatened a filibuster in order to bring the session to a close without a vote. The battle will continue to be a difficult one.


Havana - July 9, 2010

granma.cu

Bahamas Blog International

Caricom - and carry-go where?

The Caricom 31st regular heads of government meeting was held over recent days in Montego Bay. The mood of the event, according to the tone of media reports, seems to suggest you would be justified to assume it was the 13th, with all the pessimism that comes with that number.

Media personnel looked at things with less than rose-coloured spectacles which, in an earlier time, produced more optimistic expectations of a Caribbean future. In the eyes of today's media, however, this week's meeting (first in the series began1973) was just another chat shop, whole heapa talk and little substance.

The dean of Caribbean political analysis, Ricky Singh, in a column in the Observer on Wednesday, gave one of his usual astute overviews of the event which the editors headlined. "Caricom - decisions minus theatrics". It depends on how you define "theatrics", but from the distance of Kingston and relying instead on print reports and broadcasts which came out of Montego Bay, I gained the impression that at least some "theatrics" occurred.

The PNP's boycott of the opening ceremony could be given the Damp Squib Award of the Week. The intention seemed to have been to make a statement about the JLP government and the whole business "from deception to detention" in that certain matter which has left us exhausted and bruised, but what did that have to do with Caricom? Even if the PNP, as the official Opposition, thought it unpalatable to be guests of an administration which they do not respect - in the name of Jamaica at least, an unreserved welcome should have been accorded to visitors, after which we could get back to domestic agendas. Having far more of a track record with Caricom than the present leadership, the PNP should not have denied its place in history. Equally embarrassing was the scant media attention which was given to the protest. With the JLP now pouring on the scorn, we're sinking into another round of kass-kass.

THANKS to Ricky Singh, we got a bit of insight into the motivation of certain players in the conference scenario, particularly the newest prime minister, Trinidad and Tobago's Mrs Kamla Persad Bissessar, the fourth woman to hold that level of high office in the region. To remind those who may have forgotten, or inform those who might not know, her three forerunners were the indomitable Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica, the historic Janet Jagan of Guyana and the mercurial Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica.

Mrs Bissessar's victory is of particular note because she heads a People's Coalition, cutting across racial and social lines, assembled to oust Patrick Manning from the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago - which it did. Her presence here this week was her maiden voyage in the sea of Caricom meetings. I've heard that she is no stranger to Jamaica, having lived here some 14 years.

At Montego Bay, she expressed concerns about the use of the Caribbean Petroleum Fund. One got the impression that Mrs B was sending a message that T&T intends to be more prudent in its benevolence to its neighbours. Ricky added his own caution to T&T that the relationship with its neighbours is not a one-way street.

The big story, for me, is Mrs Bissessar's request for a meeting with Prime Minister Golding on the matter of the Air Jamaica-Caribbean Airlines deal. This was signed just before the general elections, which resulted in former Prime Minister Patrick Manning's loss of power. For some time before, there had been complaints from media and in the Trini Parliament as to why details of the deal were not known and that more reports seemed to come out of Jamaica than home territory.

Kingston cast aside all doubts and proceeded to the signing, eager to take Air Jamaica off its list of obligations and earn the favour of the International Monetary Fund, which these days is behaving like a proud daddy, thrilled to bits at how well Jamaica is complying with the rules, qualifying it for more pocket money from "dads".

Mrs B stayed on after the Caricom meeting to confer yesterday with Mr Golding in Kingston to discuss the airlines issue. Question of the day: What if some flaw is found which could set back the deal, after Air Jamaica has been diminished, by "the mating" of the scarlet ibis of T&T and the hummingbird of JA? What sort of offspring is to result?

There are other challenges. Jamaica continues to get the short end of the stick in inter-regional immigration despite the promise for completion and implementation of the Caricom Travel Card (CARIPASS). As to all the stuff about Caricom citizenship and neighbourliness, with opportunities for exchange of qualified workers, the reality definitely has not been neighbourly.

Time and again you hear stories of how when we head into the Caribbean, we're met with suspicion at every port. From they see us getting off the plane, Immigration runs out to pull in the welcome mat. The only other members of the Caricom family who are dissed as much as JA people are the Guyanese, and even they diss us when they're ready. Our dancehall artistes are branded and stereotyped, treated like carriers of the plague, accused of contaminating peaceful island kingdoms with "dutty music", "bad wud" and the demon drugs, not unfamiliar to those passing judgement.

OF THE DWINDLING number of elder statesmen still defending the Caricom ideal, former PM PJ Patterson has been given the task of guiding the sub-committee on immigration. More power to him. He already has on his hands the other hot potato of Haiti with the agonisingly slow march to find light at the end of the tunnel darkened by the February mega earthquake.

So was Caricom-31 a total waste of time and money? Word that the bill to be met by us as the hosts has made some persons decidedly antsy and has incited a reminder to the government about its obligation to nurses, teachers, police, correctional officers and the growing public sector unhappy about delayed settlement of overdue debts. In that scenario, some people say Caricom is the last thing on their minds.

CELEBS CELEBRATE: Usain running a goodwill race with a group of Swiss kindergarteners - who "beat" him. He responded by "breaking down in sobs". The children go to comfort him. A tiny girl plants a consoling kiss on his cheek. The crowd cheers. Chalk up one for the big man's acting skills... Back home, Asafa's special girl Yendi takes the Miss Jamaica Universe crown... The man was positively beaming.

gloudonb@yahoo.com

July 09, 2010

jamaicaobserver

Bahamas Blog International