By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterLILIENDAAL, Guyana:
PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago vowed yesterday that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will be inaugurated in April.
"We (CARICOM) understand what has happened with the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). There is an issue concerning the CCJ and Jamaica has to make adjustments. I believe Trinidad and Tobago may have to make some adjustments to what we've done (as well)," he said.
"That is why when the matter came up in the (Trinidad) Senate recently and the Opposition asked for some time, we agreed because we, too, are reviewing the entire issue and we are trying to be cautious. What we do has to be right. It is in the interest of correctness that we have delayed the signing of the CSME; the CSME is just fine. The signing is not far away. The CCJ is going to be launched in April anyway," Mr. Manning told The Gleaner.
Mr. Manning was in Guyana along with leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for the opening of the spanking new headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat in Liliendaal, Guyana yesterday morning.
"This is surely a day of rejoicing. Come join one and all in the
celebrations and be glad in it. For on this day, the Government of Guyana has delivered in full on its promise, and the Caribbean Community has acquired a home indeed a splendid home for its secretariat," said Dr. Edwin Carrington, secretary-general of CARICOM. "This day which will certainly go down in the annals of the history of our community; it is certainly a red-letter day."
NEW ERA FOR REGION
Scores of specially-invited guests thronged under a tent erected in front the new headquarters to witness the regional milestone, most oblivious to the brutal heat swirling under overcast skies to be a part of the historic event.
Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan, president of the Dutch-speaking CARICOM member-state, Suriname, said the opening of the new CARICOM secretariat, headquarters, symbolised a new era for the region and urged everyone to join in the culture of Caribbean integration. "This building symbolises the unity and aspirations of the people of CARICOM," he said.
In the meantime, both Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Mr. Manning, affirmed that the inauguration of the CCJ and the CSME are soon to follow.
"We inaugurate today not just a building. We celebrate a critical milestone in the journey of our community in this declared year of the single market," said Mr. Patterson. "Despite the recent judicial setback, we look forward with eager anticipation to the successful completion of the process by December 2005 with all member-states fully on-board."
The new US$9 million CARICOM secretariat headquarters was built with the help of the Japanese Government which contributed just about one-third of the actual cost. It has been under construction for the last 18 months. The site where the building is used to be a former rice field, which was under water when work began .
