Lead Stories

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The four-day Conference of Heads of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) ended in Montego Bay yesterday with the issue of governance still unresolved.

CARICOM has been accused of not doing enough for the people of the Caribbean and some have gone as far as tagging the biennial meetings as a talk shop.

Addressing the media at the close of the summit, Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding said, "We acknowledge that there is an issue with governance, and we have not solved that problem."

He admitted being aware of the disillusionment that Caricom is not meeting expectations.

"It's not a new issue, it has plagued CARICOM for years," he told journalists, "but we have resolved ourselves to solving it and solving the problems fast."

A team of prime ministers, including CARICOM Bureau members Golding; Roosevelt Skerrit, of Dominica; and Grenada's Tillman Thomas, will examine the sticking points.

A subcommittee, including Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo, Trinidad and Tobago's Kamla Persad-Bissessar and St Kitts and Nevis' Denzil Douglas, will assist in reviewing the proposals that have been put on the table and make a report at the next intersessional meeting in January 2011.

"We are aware of the proposal of the West Indian Commission to put in place a permanent executive commission or a group of commissioners who have executive powers and then, in effecting the decision of heads, would translate it to a domestic legislation with a certain amount of automaticity," said Golding, the CARICOM chairman.

He cautioned against establishing systems which could be significantly altered whenever there are changes in political administrations.

"There is need for continuity and follow-up. There is need for coordination to ensure that those decisions can be implemented," said Golding.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com