Harding says Jamaica should hold CARICOM referendum, KD Knight says no

Sherine Williams, Gleaner Writer

At least one former legislator is insisting that the Jamaican government should follow the UK's referendum on the European Union and hold a similar one on whether Jamaica should remain in CARICOM.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Oswald Harding says the issues that Jamaicans face in entering CARICOM countries like Trinidad show that the regional body has already violated the free movement of people agreement, which is a fundamental part of CARICOM.

Harding, who was a minister under a Jamaica Labour Party Administration , says Jamaica's future as a CARICOM member shouldn't be decided by politicians but by the Jamaicans who will be significantly impacted by any decision that is taken.

Meanwhile, former PNP Foreign Affairs Minister K.D. Knight says he doesn't believe a referendum is the right way to decide Jamaica's future in CARICOM.

IN PHOTO: K.D. Knight  

Knight says whatever problems Jamaica has should be resolved through diplomacy.

Questions about the necessity of CARICOM were recently brought to the fore following complaints from Jamaicans who say they were treated badly by immigration officials after they were denied entry into Trinidad and Tobago.

Some Jamaican manufacturers are also of the view that the free trade policy allows countries like Trinidad with large manufacturing sectors to dump cheap products on Jamaica.