THE ONGOING political crisis in Haiti will be the top agenda item for CARICOM leaders when they meet in St. Kitts starting today, but there were suggestions yesterday that the new Haitian prime minister would not be allowed to sit with the Heads in the discussions.
CARICOM has tried to maintain a common position on Haiti, but different reports indicated yesterday that member-states' positions could differ at the table today.
St. Lucian Prime Minister Kennedy Anthony indicated on Tuesday that he was leaning towards acknowledging the new interim government, headed by Boniface Alexandre as president and Gerard Latortue as prime minister, and urged his colleagues to recognise the new rulers in Haiti, but was careful not to insist on it.
"While the diplomatic recognition of a country is a sovereign political matter, one would hope that it would be possible to have a collective CARICOM position in respect of Haiti," said his diplomatically worded statement.
Anthony is also expected to reiterate to his colleagues at the inter-sessional meeting that elections in Haiti were vital and that his country would like to see Haiti 'return to the democratic fold.'
But yesterday, there were fresh reports that some heads were not prepared to welcome Latortue at the Basseterre summit.
The Haitian PM has asked to be part of the discussions on Haiti, but Denzil Douglas, host Prime Minister for the two-day talks, indicated at a news conference that Latortue would not be welcome.
"As a result of not subscribing to the way in which there was a change in the government in Haiti," said Douglas, "It is going to be extremely difficult for us to sit in any of the Councils of the CARICOM with the interim government that has been put in place."
The Caribbean Media Corporation said it was the St. Kitts premier's first public statement on the crisis since Aristide's ousting.
Douglas said it would be difficult for CARICOM to recognise a government that was not elected, and indicated that there would be no acknowledgement of Latortue unless he retracted statements he made after his installation.
"Without his denouncing what he himself said earlier in terms of Haiti's relationship to CARICOM and the way by which he recalled his own ambassador from Jamaica and clear up those statements he made earlier, it would be difficult for us to even receive him," said the PM.
Backed by the United States, the interim administration had immediately announced a suspension of diplomatic ties with Jamaica over its hosting of Aristide, and cancelled a meeting with CARICOM chairman P.J. Patterson.
St. Vincent's Ralph Gonsalves, who has close ties with Patterson, has also suggested that Latortue should not be given audience in Basseterre.
The inter-sessional summit will also receive updates on the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and discuss the latest developments with respect to sugar and bananas.
The heads will also discuss Crime and Security, External Relations, Access to Natural Resources and the 2007 World Cup Cricket.
