Dear Editor:
ARTICLE 6 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas commits the 15 Member States of our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to “enhanced coordination of Member States’ foreign and foreign economic policies” and to “the achievement of a greater measure of…effectiveness in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description.”
Well, if our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) ever needed a unified and collective foreign policy, the time is now!
Recently – on the 10th of January 2019 – we had an embarrassing spectacle at the Organization of American States (OAS), when, on having to deal with a Resolution that purported to delegitimize the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, our CARICOM member states found themselves divided on the issue, with some of them voting for the Resolution, others voting against, and some abstaining.
And now, an additional Venezuela-related foreign policy challenge has come our way, in the form of one Juan Guaido – the recently appointed President of Venezuela’s National Assembly – unilaterally (and in the absence of his participation in any relevant electoral process) declaring himself President of Venezuela and having the Donald Trump administration of the United States of America purporting to recognize him as Venezuela’s interim President.
In light of the foregoing, it behoves us to spend some time reflecting on the genesis of CARICOM’s aspiration to a collective foreign policy, and on the ideals and principles that would have guided the four major architects of that aspiration – the late Prime Ministers Errol Barrow, Eric Williams, Forbes Burnham, and Michael Manley.
In January 1962, at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Organization of American States (OAS) Foreign Ministers in Uruguay, the OAS suspended Cuba’s membership, thereby effectively expelling Cuba from the OAS!
This was then followed by the US compiling a so-called “black list” of all countries still trading with Cuba and threatening to cut off US economic and military assistance to them.
But even this was seemingly not enough for the anti-Cuba forces, and during the 9th Consultative Meeting of Foreign Ministers held in Washington DC in July 1964, a resolution was passed urging all governments of the Western Hemisphere to break diplomatic relations with Cuba.
And – sad to say – in the following years, every single Western Hemisphere nation except Mexico and Canada fell in line with the OAS stipulation and either broke diplomatic relations with Cuba or refused to recognize the revolutionary Republic of Cuba!
The magnificent response of the visionary Prime Ministers of the four newly independent Commonwealth Caribbean nations — Errol Barrow, Michael Manley, Eric Williams and Forbes Burnham—was to issue the following historic Declaration in October 1972 :-
“The Prime Ministers of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, meeting together during the Heads of Government Conference at Chaguaramas, have considered the state of their relations with the Government of Cuba and the obligations, which the OAS has sought to impose upon its members in regard to relations with that Government; and make the following statement:
(1) The independent English-speaking Caribbean states, exercising their sovereign right to enter into relations with any other sovereign state and pursuing their determination to seek regional solidarity and to achieve meaningful and comprehensive economic cooperation amongst all Caribbean countries will seek the early establishment of relations with Cuba, whether economic, diplomatic or both.
(2) To this end, the independent English-speaking Caribbean states will act together on the basis of agreed principles.”
Here then were the four smallest and youngest states of the entire Western hemisphere standing on principle; courageously speaking “truth to power”; and setting a noble and principled example for all the other nations of the hemisphere to follow!
And so, the lesson taught to us by these architects of our Caribbean integration movement – Errol Barrow, Eric Williams, Forbes Burnham and Michael Manley – is absolutely clear: namely, that our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a much more effective, powerful, principled, and respected organization when it operates on the basis of a unified, collective Foreign Policy.
Surely, this is a lesson that we all need to take to heart in these troubled and vexed times.
David Comissiong, Ambassador to Caricom,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign
Trade, Bridgetown, Barbados |
Dear Editor:
There has to be a metamorphosis in the thinking of the two major races in terms of the way they view their political leaders, both those who are in office and those who aspire for office.
Both races have to face the harsh reality that politicians who do not have the country’s interests at heart, but who are bent on enriching themselves at the expense of the suffering working class, are detrimental to the welfare of all races in Guyana.
We must not differentiate on the basis that ‘our leader is less evil than their leader’; evil is evil and a rotten fish stinks whether it is in one house or another.
This type of thinking requires that we have to remove that insidious veil of tribalism and racism that have entered into the psyche of both races, and have created that fertile ground for greedy and corrupt politicians to grow and prosper.
This will not be an easy task, but it will represent a pivotal turning point in the political process in Guyana.
With this type of approach and thinking, people will begin to look for leaders on the basis of the content of their character and their capacity to serve the country and advance the welfare of all Guyanese, and not because of their race.
Of course, we do not expect leaders to be flawless in character and virtue, but at a minimum, they must have a strong respect for truth and moral integrity, and a demonstrated commitment to public service without any ulterior motive or vested interests.
The historical experience in Guyana has been that the ‘racial pattern of voting’ has always trumped any type of rational and objective thinking and analysis.
The leaders that have emerged over the years know this very well, and almost all have been masters of manipulation, division, and exclusion. They know that they can violate all the rules and norms of good governance and financial propriety and they will always have that safety net of tribalism and racial voting to catapult them into high office.
Well, the time has come for Guyanese to break this pattern. If a person votes for a presidential candidate, then it must be so on the basis of that candidate’s demonstrated performance and leadership, his/her capacity to serve in the best interests of all Guyanese, and to promote the growth and prosperity of Guyana, and at no time must his/her race or any other narrow affiliation enter into the equation.
Voting for a presidential candidate is a serious matter, and there will be serious consequences for the people and the country when someone who does not have the character and the attributes to work for the welfare of all Guyanese, is propelled into that office.
No emotional sentimentalism or show of blind loyalty to race or tribal interests must thwart the exercise of right thinking, objective judgment, and rational and impartial analysis.
But all this is not enough. Those who oversee the electoral machinery must ensure that elections are fair, both in appearance and in substance. The integrity of the votes cast must be upheld and protected. There must be no interference, manipulation or substitution of valid votes cast.
And this begins with the accurate and complete preparation of the electoral list of eligible voters, and sufficient time for the review and correction of this list.
Also, the results of the elections must be made known in a timely manner, considering logistical and other unforeseen circumstances.
It is also critical that the young people in Guyana play a more meaningful and impactful role in the political process. It seems that there is widespread discontent with the present crop of leaders. This offers both a challenge and an opportunity for the young people to articulate their position and agenda, and hopefully take on the mantle of leadership.
This is the way forward for Guyana, and in living the spirit of our motto of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”
Haimnauth [Cecil] Ramkirath via email
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