20561: Esser: Patterson praises Caricom 'unity' on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Trinidad & Tobago Express
http://www.trinidadexpress.com

March 19th 2004

Patterson praises Caricom 'unity' on Haiti
By Rickey Singh

BRIDGETOWN-Prime Minister P J Patterson of Jamaica and current
chairman of the Caribbean Community last evening praised the
"remarkable sense of unity" by the member states of Caricom in
relation to the Haitian political crisis, including the aftermath of
President Jean Bertrand Aristide's sudden loss of power.

Patterson's statement came against a background of reports in and out
Haiti and the USA suggesting differences of positions within Caricom
about the temporary hosting by Jamaica of Aristide and his family and
also the Community's non-recognition of the interim Washington-backed
regime in Port-au-Prince.

As the Jamaican Prime Minister said: "The Caribbean Community has
demonstrated considerable diplomatic capacity in formulating the
Caricom Initiative in respect of the ongoing Haitian political
crisis".

The Community, he added, "has achieved as well a remarkable sense of
unity in its response to the aftermath of former President Aristide's
sudden departure from office on February 29.

"These (responses) have earned marked respect from sections of the
international community and the majority of our Caribbean citizens,
local and foreign alike..."

Encouraged by this demonstration of unity, Patterson declared that
Jamaica "does not propose to become engaged in any internal wrangle
of diplomatic row".

This was an implicit reference to reports in sections of the Jamaica
and Barbados media of a statement attributed to Foreign Minister
Bille Miller of Barbados in Parliament on Wednesday that she had no
prior knowledge of Jamaica's initiative to temporarily host Aristide,
and that it had not resulted from "a CARICOM initiative"..

Prior to the release of Patterson's statement, his Foreign Minister,
KD Knight was in telephone conversation with his Barbadian
counterpart to clarify any misunderstandings that may have arisen.

He told the "Trinidad Express" last night that he was "quite
satisfied with his conversation with the Barbados Foreign Minister.
There were no ruffled feathers and I am pleased to note that our
unity remains firm."

While Prime Minister Patterson was reviewing 'what he has presented
as the 'Caricom Initiative" on the Haitian political crisis, a number
of governments of the Community were openly expressing their support
for Jamaica's decision to facilitate the temporary stay of the
deposed Haitian President.

Among them by last evening were the governments of Trinidad and
Tobago, Guyana, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In addressing the specific issue of his government's hosting
Aristide, his wife Mildred and their two young children, Patterson
noted that Jamaica has "a tradition of providing temporary refuge for
political leaders and other personalities from Haiti and elsewhere".

Among such "beneficiaries" of Jamaica's "renowned capacity for
extending hospitality to families wishing a private reunion within
our shores", he said, was the current interim Prime Minister of
Haiti, Gerard LaTortue.

That would have been a reference to when :LaTortue, fled Haiti under
the dictatorship of President Francois Duvalier. He has now
suspended Haiti's membership in Caricom in protest of Aristide's
presence in Jamaica.
.