As Secretary General of CARICOM, the late elder statesman, William Demas, had frequently linked the Community's economic transformation with the land mass and natural resources of Guyana that extend beyond the mineral, agricultural, forestry and fishing sectors.

It is, therefore, understandable why Barbados and the rest of the CARICOM family should monitor closely developments in Guyana that could either impact negatively or positively on their own economies and peoples.

At the present time, when Barbados and Guyana are advancing arrangements for Guyanese sugar to be sold in this country, and also for a bilateral fishing pact, the people of that mainland nation on South America remain apprehensive over ethnic disharmony and political stability.

The apprehension has been aggravated by an unprecedented wave of criminal violence over the past year, starting with the escape from prison on February 23, 2002, of five armed and dangerous criminals.

The combination of the criminal rampage and negative party politics, including an almost 11-month long boycott of Parliament by the main opposition People's National Congress Reform, added to the social and political woes of the country.

Following the death on December 22 from heart attack of the PNC/R's then leader, former President Desmond Hoyte, there have been some welcome gestures on both sides of the political fence.

These have offered new hope for bipartisan approaches in facing the crime challenge as well as addressing ethnic relations and issues for improved governance as matters of urgent national importance.

While the PNC/R's participation in parliament last Wednesday proved, regrettably, a kind of one-day wonder, after 11 months of boycott, there remains hope for what is being projected in Georgetown as a coming "high-level" dialogue shortly between President Bharrat Jagdeo and the opposition party's newly-elected leader, Robert Corbin.

A very seasoned politician, who was a close ally of both the late Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte, Corbin has committed himself and party to "keeping the door open" for "constructive engagement" with the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic.