Political Analyst Dr. Indira Rampersad says Trinidad and Tobago has a valid concern with regard to transparency and inclusion in CARICOM’s decision making process.
Speaking with TTT news, she described the controversy surrounding the reappointment of CARICOM’s Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett as ” a total fiasco”.
Speaking with TTT news, Political analyst Dr. Indira Rampersad questioned whether the re-election of Dr. Carla Barnett as Secretary General followed the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
She also noted that a decision of this magnitude should not have been taken at a retreat.
“So I want to state that retreats are really to discuss, I don’t know, some other matters, but
not to reappoint a Secretary General. So that’s the first thing I want to say, that the reappointment
of a Secretary General should take place at a heads of government meeting, right? So if the Prime Minister can’t be there, then a representative can legally be there according to the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.”
Dr. Rampersad also affirmed that the elections should have been placed on the agenda.
“In fact it has to be a priority item on the agenda because it is a more significant item that has you know that has to be raised I mean and it’s going into vote so if it was not in the agenda and Trinidad and Tobago didn’t know that that was going to be done, they would not, you know, there was no way that that secretary-general could have been legitimately elected.”
Dr. Rampersad is suggesting that the voting process is revisited.
“It would be better to revisit it and let it stand because it’s going to be uncomfortable for Dr. Carla
Barnett to continue there with these sentiments about it. Even if Trinidad and Tobago is being seen
as a dark horse, it will be uncomfortable for her and for her sake. They can revisit the elections.
And if she is the candidate and she emerges the nominee, the candidate again, so be it.”
At a post cabinet media briefing on Thursday, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Sean Sobers pointed to physical documentation distributed to member states as proof that Trinidad and Tobago was excluded from the trip to Nevis, where the appointment of CARICOM’s Secretary General took place.