Guyana: Law Professor Raises Concerns Over CARICOM Secretary General’s Re-Appointment

Less than two weeks before Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders meet in St. Lucia for their summit, a legal opinion has raised doubts regarding the re-appointment of Dr. Carla Barnett as the grouping’s Secretary General. In March, CARICOM chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew, stated that Barnett had received the “required majority” from regional leaders during the February CARICOM summit in Basseterre. Barnett, who became the eighth CARICOM Secretary General on August 15, 2021, was re-appointed during a leaders’ retreat in Nevis in February this year.

However, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago, who was not present at the retreat, has stated that her country will not recognize Barnett after August 2026, when her first five-year term ends. Persad-Bissessar emphasized that Trinidad and Tobago only acknowledges Barnett as Secretary General until the end of her current term, asserting that this position is final.

In response to the situation, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has called for a meeting of regional heads to address the matter. Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has expressed support for Barnett’s re-appointment, stating that the issue has been widely discussed.

In a 48-page paper, Professor Rajendra Ramlogan, a legal expert from the University of the West Indies, argues that the re-appointment process was procedurally flawed and legally void. He contends that the legitimacy of regional integration relies on adherence to agreed constitutional processes, as outlined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Ramlogan identifies several procedural and constitutional concerns, including the authority to appoint the Secretary-General, which is vested in the Conference of Heads of Government. He questions whether the decision-making body operated under the correct procedures during the retreat.

He also discusses the role of the Community Council in the appointment process, asserting that re-appointment should involve a recommendation from the Council. Additionally, he raises concerns about voting procedures and the implications of Trinidad and Tobago’s participation in the discussions.

Ramlogan concludes that these issues highlight the importance of transparency and adherence to legal frameworks in regional governance. He emphasizes that the integrity of CARICOM’s constitutional order is essential for maintaining regional unity and that decisions should be made lawfully rather than expediently.

Source: demerarawaves.com