The regional heads, or their representatives, surveying the large crowd on hand for the opening ceremony of the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in the courtyard of Parliament Buildings yesterday.

by Rickey Singh

THE SURPRISE absence of four Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and a sharp, open rebuke to some governments for failure to support the regional carrier LIAT were two of the significant features of yesterday's ceremonial opening of the 28th summit of the Caribbean Community.

Missing from the event in the courtyard of the Barbados Parliament were: Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica; Hubert Ingraham newly-elected Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Said Musa of Belize, and President of Suriname, Runaldo Venetiaan.

Although all 15-member countries of CARICOM were represented, it was quite unusual to have so many leaders absent at the start of a regular annual summit.

Arriving today

No explanations were publicly offered, but it was learnt last night that Venetiaan would be participating in today's working session at Hilton Barbados. Musa is due to arrive late today and will be involved in tomorrow's scheduled retreat for leaders and heads of delegation.

Simpson-Miller is known to be involved in intense political strategy sessions at home ahead of announcing the date for a new general election anytime now.

But like Ingraham, she will not be represented even at ministerial level for this four-day conference. Heading The Bahamas delegation is the country's long-standing ambassador to CARICOM, Leonard Archer.

The open rebuke on disunity in regional air transport co-operation – believed to be within the OECS sub-region – came from St Vincent's Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who accused unnamed governments of "sabotaging" efforts to ensure longevity with improved services by LIAT.

Gonsalves, who has lead responsibility for regional air and sea transportation, said it was palpably unfair for some CARICOM governments to expect the taxpayers of Barbados, Antigua and St Vincent and the Grenadines to "bear the burden" in seeking to keep LIAT in the air when that vital mode of transportation was also benefiting the other countries to which LIAT flies.

Support

He went on to praise Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the people of Trinidad and Tobago for their "continuing and indispensable" support for CARICOM.

Later, Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who shoulders readiness-arrangements for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) also emphatically stressed the importance of all CARICOM member states committing themselves to deepening functional co-operation with a special focus on regional air transportation.

Arthur said the time was now for a more "ambitious agenda" on functional co-operation in critical areas.

Also addressing the opening session was St Lucia's Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King, who regretted the absence of ailing Prime Minister Sir John Compton, and reaffirmed his country's commitment to the policies and goals of CARICOM.

Secretary General Edwin Carrington said that given the realities of the external environment and the serious social and economic challenges facing the region, CARICOM had no options but to make a success of this week's conference for implementation of vital programmes.