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From left, Manning, Carrington, Patterson, and Gonsalves
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC:
TRINIDAD AND Tobago said yesterday that it was prepared to enter into discussions on forming a Caribbean political union and Jamaica insisted that after 30 years, it was time to overhaul the regional integration vehicle, as CARICOM leaders started meeting in Port-of-Spain.
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning has in the past urged a political union involving Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and he used the opening of the 14th Inter-Sessional Summit here to reiterate the need for closer political union.
But this time, Manning said that his administration was prepared "to enter into discussions with any Caribbean state on political union. Our view of what lies before us mandates this," he added.
While Caribbean leaders have not yet reacted to Manning's latest offer, St. Vincent and the Grena-dines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has proposed that the union would take the form of a confederal political arrangement, similar to that of the European Union, but with variations to suit the Caribbean realities.
He said that the Caribbean islands had little choice but to be part of the political union.
Jamaica's Prime Minister PJ Patterson told the opening ceremony that after 30 years of the regional integration movement (CARICOM), "there is need not only to inspect the engine, but to overhaul it completely."
"It must be refitted so that we have an efficient and reliable vehicle to take us on a new leg of our journey to realise our collective future."
Patterson said, "this collective future must involve the building of modern Caribbean societies and competitive economies. We have to strive to attain first world standards and achievements with economic vibrancy, cultural sophistication and confidence in ourselves."
Dominica's Prime Minister, Pierre Charles in a prepared speech read by his Foreign Minister, Osborne Riviere, said that efforts at strengthening the movement were being hampered by some states slow implementation of decisions taken at regional summits.
"We in the Caribbean behave like reluctant brides," he said at one stage, adding that it was left to the leaders to fulfil "this promise we have made to the people of the region."
CARICOM Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington, said that the integration movement, which this year is observing its 30th anniversary, has a membership of 15 countries and that "very soon our numbers will grow with the imminent accession of Bermuda as one of our cluster of treasured Associate Members."
"We have seen progress, admittedly not nearly as much as would have hoped for," he said, adding however, "we have weathered many storms and traversed many a rocky road, which many a developing country groupings have not."
