Gya: Opposition needed in Caricom?

...Caricom's seemingly studied aloofness from issues of governance within member states, appears to make concessions only when crises ignite....

The complaint is a fair critique of Caricom. Caricom at invitation in recent years has mediated in political conflicts in Guyana (the Herdmanston Agreement) in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and more recently, and in this latter case without success, in Haiti. Moreover it should be recalled that for nearly three decades Caricom leaders turned a blind eye to well documented electoral irregularities in Guyana.

These opening paragraphs are a "here's mud in yer eye" bit to Caricom.

The heart of the editorial is this:

The question of the role of the opposition goes in particular to the heart of the problem of the development of essential new Caricom institutions. In Trinidad and Tobago the opposition United National Congress (UNC) has refused to support a necessary constitutional amendment which would enable the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to operate in Trinidad and Tobago, unless there is an undertaking for wider constitutional reform. In Jamaica, the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) took court action against the decision of government to enact legislation to bring in the CCJ. On losing such court action the JLP almost at once issued a strong statement urging that Jamaica should not join the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). In these instances it may well be the case that Caricom projects are being held hostage to domestic conflicts. Indeed it may well be the case that the slow pace in the implementation of decisions made by the Summit and other Caricom bodies is due precisely to the fact that governments must steadily look over their shoulders at what political capital the opposition might make of Caricom issues.

Caricom Heads of Governments are thus sensitive to the role of the opposition. In the Rosehall Declaration on regional governance, adopted by the Caricom Summit in Montego Bay in July 2003, they "resolved to create opportunities for the political opposition in Member States to play a more active role in the development of the Community within a framework of respect for democratic principles," and in this context called upon the opposition parties to fully embrace those opportunities