Manning confident on CSME, CCJ
By Rickey Singh
Guyana Chronicle
July 6, 2004
ST. GEORGE'S -- Prime Minister Patrick Manning is "confident" about Trinidad and Tobago's "readiness" for participation this year in both the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Manning, who is at the current 25th annual Community Summit in Grenada with Foreign Minister Knowlson Gift and Trade Minister Ken Valley, told the `Guyana Chronicle’ yesterday:
"We are aware of the mixed signals from some of our partners of the community, but I can assure you that on the CSME front Trinidad and Tobago is already in about 80 per cent readiness and will be completely so by year end...."
So far as the CCJ is concerned, the Prime Minister said that two pieces of related legislation should be going forward for debate in the House of Representatives shortly to deal with the regional court's jurisdiction for the CSME and as a final appellate institution to replace the Privy Council.
When asked what level of success he envisaged, in view of the opposition United National Congress's frustration in parliament last week of passage of three related police reform bills, Manning retorted:
"Well, we did what we had to do in relation to those (police reform) pieces of legislation and it would be up to the UNC to now oppose the required legislation for our participation in the CCJ...."
Speaking before the first plenary session of the four-day summit, Manning said that the UNC opposition had previously favoured both police reform legislation and Trinidad and Tobago's access to the CCJ for its original jurisdiction on CSME disputes settlement and as a final appellate court.
"Let's see how they (the UNC opposition) will behave when the legislation on the CCJ is tabled in parliament", he declared, adding:
"I am confident that along with our CSME readiness, Trinidad and Tobago will have access to the CCJ, at least in its original jurisdiction, if not as its final appeal court."
While all signatory member states are likely to be ready for a possible October or November inauguration of the CCJ as a court with original jurisdiction for the CSME, only Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica may constitute the minimum required three for the CCJ to be launched as a final appellate institution.
Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados were the three countries that had signalled last year their "readiness" by the end of 2004 for participation in the single market component of the CSME.
Manning said yesterday that he was now looking forward to being "reassured" by his community colleagues, including Jamaica and Barbados, about their own "state of readiness" since it was "imperative" that the pace of implementation be expedited.
Both Prime Ministers Owen Arthur of Barbados and P.J. Patterson of Jamaica have spoken optimistically over recent months of the readiness of their respective governments for CSME participation in 2004.
It has, however, been noted that among three Prime Ministerial Sub-committees that failed to have expected pre-summit meetings, was the one on the CSME headed by Arthur.
Arthur missed the ceremonial opening session of the summit on Sunday and so did Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who was to have chaired the Prime Ministerial Working Committee on Governance.
Conflicting work and arrival schedules also prevented the pre-summit meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on External Trade Negotiations, which is chaired by Jamaica's Prime Minister P. J. Patterson.