July 23 2019
-will only intervene if both sides agree
CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque today said that the Secretariat continues to closely monitor the situation in Guyana but that it would only intervene if the democratic and judicial processes break down and if both parties – government and opposition -deem it necessary.
“We continue to monitor everything, very, very closely…” LaRocque said when approached on the sidelines of the opening session of the Tenth General Meeting between CARICOM and Associated Institutions and the United Nations System at the secretariat’s Liliendaal Headquarters.
“CARICOM does not interfere unless the democratic and judicial process breaks down, we are very much engaged as far as I am concerned. We read all kinds of things in the media but that’s our position going forward. It does not mean that we don’t care or we are not engaged, we are fully engaged,” he maintained to media operatives.
Following the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling which reiterated that the December 21st, 2018 motion of no-confidence against the government was properly passed by the National Assembly and that the clear provisions of Article 106 of the Constitution which include the holding of elections, immediately became engaged, some sections of society have called on CARICOM to speak out and take action.
The Secretary-General said that there is a process that has been ongoing since the vote of no-confidence which has worked thus far in the sense that the CCJ delivered a judgment and its consequential orders.
“The CCJ in my view was very, very clear that all the actors concerned, all the actors concerned, the executive, the opposition and GECOM must play their parts,” he noted.
He said he understands that there continues to be dialogue among the parties. He added that he met with both President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo before the ruling and he spoke to the President after the ruling and met again with Jagdeo.
“So I am in touch, I will continue to be in touch. My Chairman is also briefed regularly, that is the Prime Minister of St Lucia (Allen Chastanet), I know he has also reached out and we are going to continue monitoring this,” he said.
Asked about the statement by Jagdeo last week, in which he called on CARICOM to make a public statement on the situation in Guyana, LaRocque said he did but pointed out that just before or after the statement there was a meeting between himself and the President.
“I am saying that dialogue is continuing, and we have to allow the dialogue to continue and if things break down then obviously then one needs to take a different position on the situation… But for now I think the situation continues, I have spoken to both of them, I have made the offer that CARICOM is prepared to assist if both parties, if both parties deem it necessary.”
Further pressed he said that both parties have to want the intervention and he has made it clear on numerous occasion “that is how we operate.”
