|
|
|
|
By: Janelle Charles
Guyana’s opposition leader Desmond Hoyte will meet with CARICOM heads in St. Lucia at their request, as they attempt to get Hoyte and President Janet Jagan, to come to some solution to the political crisis in that South American country. ‘This is a departure of sorts, but again it is causing all of us considerable anxiety, and we ought to take this opportunity to discuss the issue in a very frank and open way," St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony told reporters. He noted also that while CARICOM should never get involved in the electoral process of a member state he concedes that where distortions emerge after an election CARICOM has a legitimate role to play. " Involvement in the election process also implies involvement in the management of the election process, now how can you do this in any country? Anthony clarified. When questioned whether a precedent was being set by allowing an Opposition leaders to highjack a CARICOM summit the Prime Minister noted that " CARICOM is searching for ways and means to resolve difficult situations especially post electoral situations and if the experience proves to be useful then it may well be the case that in future that device may be resorted to, but I think it is rather presumptuous to assume that CARICOM Heads will just invite any and every body to such meetings.
|
|
© 2001 Government Information Service. All rights reserved. Read our privacy guidelines. |
The protracted political crisis
in Guyana dominated the inaugural press briefing organized by the CARICOM Secretariat,
ahead of this evening’s opening of the 19th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in
St. Lucia.
This
is the first time CARICOM has been formally involved in finding a solution to a post
electoral crisis in a member state. Prime Minister Anthony says there is a new willingness
on the part of CARICOM countries to resolve the problems of the region and to avoid a
situation where outsiders interfere.