Patterson disappointed over governance
By Rickey Singh
Guyana Chronicle
July 6, 2004
ST.GEORGE'S -- Jamaica's Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, has expressed his "deep personal disappointment" over the failure by the Caribbean Community to achieve some of the important targets set at last year's 24th annual CARICOM Summit in Montego Bay.
Among the failed targets identified by Patterson, who chaired that conference of community leaders, was advancing the process of "options for governance" as outlined in the "Rosehall Declaration".
Since a five-member Prime Ministerial Working Committee on Governance was established by the Montego Bay Summit, there has been only one fully represented meeting followed by subsequent meetings at the level of technocrats.
Improved governance in the conduct of the community's business is among some of the major issues to be addressed today at a retreat of the Heads of Government.
Patterson, who was hailed at the formal opening of the current 25th CARICOM Summit as "the elder statesman" of the community by new Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer, said in his address on Sunday evening:
"We need to guard against the uncertainties about our ability to meet the deadlines we set thereby sending mixed signals to our citizens. We must continue to act decisively and cohesively and with expedition as time is not on our side."
Integral to the process, he stressed, "is our consideration of the various options for governance of the affairs of the community...Without a doubt, the pace and extent of the community's operations require appropriate policy and institutional support.”
"Equally important", he added, "is the machinery to ensure timely and effective implementation of our solemn decisions. These are issues we must finalise in order to advance the community's goals of even closer cooperation and unity".
What was NOT an option was "disunity", he said.