PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Trinidad and Tobago's government on Monday said any support for the existing political structure in Haiti “has the potential to be rejected because it comes across as the support for existing political directorate”.
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley at news conference on Monday (CMC Photo)The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been involved in efforts to stabilise the socio-economic situation in the French-speaking CARICOM country where opposition political parties have been calling for fresh general and presidential elections.
Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry has been calling for international support to help stabilise the country and in October, the 15-member United Nations Security Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of sending a Kenya-led multi-national force to Haiti.
The Security Council also authorised the renewal for one year, the sanctions regime on Haiti, continuing a targeted arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze established in October last year to address the widespread violence, criminal activity and human rights abuses plaguing the country. It said elections are crucial for the sustainable rule of law.
Speaking at a news conference here on Monday, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley described the existing political directorate in Port au prince “as a makeshift arrangement that was put there after the assassination of President (Jovenel) Moise” In July 7, 2021.
“We strongly believe that greater efforts should be made to getting a broader government to prepare Haiti for sometime in the not too distant future to have some kind of election timetable and have the population be brought along.
“Today I think there is not a single elected official in Haiti and therefore to try and provide support propping up that arrangement is to invite failure. So our position is…and that’s the position we advocate at CARICOM and I can tell you it has wide spread support at CARICOM,” Rowley said.
Rowley, who along with other regional leaders participated in the inaugural summit between Saudi Arabia and CARICOM leaders in Riyadh last week, said it provided an opportunity for the Caribbean to chart its own way forward.
“We have entertained here in the Caribbean a number of envoys and extended visits,prior to this summit, building the relationship between our region that is being treated very harshly by the traditional colonial arrangements, especially those who believe that they are entitled to talk down to us or treat us like children in the neighbour’s yard.
“Forever moving the goal post, forever making rules and telling us what we are entitled to or where we belong. But we believe that our independence gives us the right to reach as far as we can across the world with no boundaries”.
He said for example, Trinidad and Tobago maintains relationship with China “which is as good as it has ever been or it should be,” and that similar relationship has been developed with Australia, India .
“Saudi Arabia is probably the second most interesting economy in the world today in terms of its growth, in terms of its vision for the new arrangements between countries and also its willingness to work with CARICOM because we are aligned in very many ways.”
Rowley said during the summit in Riyadh “the alignment between the Saudi economy, the Saudi government policy is so close with CARICOM that one wonders how come this did not happen before.
“We have had a very successful summit and as I said earlier on…it makes sense to go to the top of the fountain to plead your case and make your decisions where the decisions are made abroad and that’s how we have approached our bilateral business and that is how CARICOM has arranged and is arranging our regional business.
“We go to the decision makers and that automatically involves our heads of government and meeting people where they are or bringing them to us, if they are willing to come to us. It is a very active period,” Rowley said.
Rowley said that the summit in Saudi Arabia “is probably the first time we got every single CARICOM government present and represented…and that’s a good thing because it meant that CARICOM was moving as a well oiled unit.
“So when we sat down with the decision makers we are able to be respected, to be heard and to be cooperated with,” he added.
During the news conference, Rowley defended the “closeness” now among regional leaders, saying it is that approach that saw CARICOM going to the United Nations to speak with the UN Secretary General “with respect to worrisome developments that were developing in had those developments played out in the natural way that people expected to play out.
“The relationship in CARICOM today is probably the best it has even been,” said Rowley, who has been in office for the past nine years.
“The relationship between Caribbean leaders and CARICOM governments today is the best it has even been that I know,” he said, indicating that this may be as a result of the number of new heads of governments within the 15-member grouping.
“I can tell you that Trinidad and Tobago has not shirked its responsibility in CARICOM. In fact we have led on this issue of stronger together,” he added.
