CARICOM talks end without consensus on candidacy posts

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

REGIONAL talks ended today with no consensus on candidacy for posts in the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Organisation of the American States (OAS).

Prime Minister Perry Christie, chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said member states have not decided whether to put forward a single candidate or present candidates as they are nominated by individual nations.

However, Mr Christie emphasised that the two-day inter-sessional summit marked considerable progress on key items concerning efforts to protect the financial services sector; prioritise development of cultural and creative industries; and expand capacity in the agriculture sector.

The regional body will establish a Committee of Finance Ministers to advance a high-level campaign against the "unjust" characterisation of the region as a high risk area for financial services.

"Because in many cases our indigenous banks cannot provide a high level of reward," Mr Christie said, "correspondent banks are closing their relationships with them because of the claim that the Caribbean is a high risk area for financial services.

"Unless this situation is addressed with urgency, the indigenous banks in each of our countries will be adversely affected in their operations," he said.

Other agenda items discussed were: the establishment of the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors; revision of emoluments and proposed pension rules for judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice; financing of the CARICOM Secretariat and community institutions; reparations for native genocide and slavery; financing and composition of The Marijuana Commission; and relations with Dominica.

Mr Christie said: "One of the key items related to the leverage of our human, natural and cultural assets for the benefit of our community."

"We agreed that emphasis should be placed on developing the cultural and creative industries and the sport sector in a manner that would benefit the economies and the society as a whole. Specifically we have agreed to create the necessary legislation to advance the creative industries and establish a sustainable financing mechanism for the sector in collaboration with the CARICOM Development Fund and the Caribbean Development Bank and the private sector."

Mr Christie explained that a key part of the initiative will be a realignment of the education system.

The only candidate for the OAS Secretary General is Uruguayan Foreign Minister Luis Almagro. There are two CARICOM countries vying for the post of OAS Assistant Secretary General: Belize and Guyana.

Three countries have put forward candidates for the Commonwealth Secretary General: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Ahead of the 26th Inter-sessional CARICOM Summit, regional pundits have opined that the lack of consensus on candidates for the posts, was evidence of disunity and lack of leadership to the disadvantage of the region's potential leverage.

Yesterday, outgoing chairman and Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne said: "Not necessarily, it shows we have a large cadre of qualified candidates within the region. Of the three candidates, they all have the capacity of serving as the Commonwealth Secretary General, and I also believe that they all have the capacity to succeed. If it was a situation in which we had inferior candidates then I believe the community would have asked the inferior ones to stand down, but that is not the position. They are all good quality candidates and it is very difficult to ask any of them to stand down."

Comments

SP says...

**Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) = Monkeys Wearing Suits**

This group of dumb primates are a disgrace to the peoples of the region.

After decades of meeting, talks and banana tossing, these idiots combined have not come to the realization that as the single biggest cruise ship destination in the world, they should form an and act as a "block" to regulate the cruise ship industry instead of independently negotiating terms, fees and agreements.

The region can benefit 1000% more if cruise ship operators were regulated and properly taxed, relative to their incomes derived from the region.

**Secondly, 23 states including Washington DC have enacted laws to legalize marijuana.**

CARICOM group of lemurs, lorises, monkeys now lead by our very own biggest ape, now also tell us they will form a committee to study the decriminalization of marijuana???

Exactly WHAT is there that warrants this further study?

Are a group of monkeys going to determine that America, Canada, Europe, Jamaica and Uruguay have missed the point on marijuana?

With Uruguayan representative sitting RIGHT THERE and Jamaica having passed legislation just this week and having investors already beating down their doors......WHAT IN GODS NAME does the OAS GROUP OF MONKEYS need to know that couldn't have been emailed and determined in less than 10 seconds?

OAS chief ape Christie needs to stop wasting time, follow the U.S. Canada and the rest of the civilized world, legalize marijuana possession for less than 3 ounces, and release with full pardon everyone in Fox Hill prison incarcerated for marijuana possession under 3 ounces.

This will make space in the prisons for the hundreds of dangerous criminal animals on bail that are terrorizing the country and about to cause Bahamas to become blacklisted as an unsafe tourism destination.

With Cuba hot on the comeback trail having virtually NO CRIME. Chief primate and well known professional vacillator Perry Gladston Christie better leave his banana alone and get this done....OR ELSE!

**Final point.............Jackass does as Jackass is.**

Posted 28 February 2015, 7:44 a.m. Suggest removal

Emac says...

Wow! Agree 100%

Posted 1 March 2015, 6:11 a.m. Suggest removal

ObserverOfChaos says...

haha.....Pm Perry Christie, chairman o the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).....that says it all right there on why they didn't come up with any people!....the man is an incompetent, inept political buffoon that even gets lost in his own speeches because he likes to hear his head rattle when he talks....most inept politician (i won't even call him a leader) in the caribbean and yet he heads up CARICOM.....hahah....i'm laughing so hard my sides hurt....

Posted 28 February 2015, 12:03 p.m. Suggest removal

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