CARICOM SECRETARIAT, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana, August 12, 2024 — The three former prime ministers appointed by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government to carry out the Community’s good office role in Haiti continue to do so as the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) and the interim prime minister are in place.
Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which consists of former prime ministers Dr Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and Perry Christie of The Bahamas, continues to engage with Haitian stakeholder groups to assess the current political climate in Haiti.
H.E. Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the TPC, who attended the 47th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in Grenada, said that the TPC is preparing to implement the transitional electoral system and process that will enable Haiti to hold general elections by the end of 2025.
He said that the TPC has also started a nationwide constitutional review process to redefine the relationship between the state and the populace. These efforts were amid the challenging situation in Haiti marked by gun violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other villages, Mr. Leblanc Fils said at the media conference at the conclusion of the Meeting.
“It is our aim to remove Haiti from this situation,” the president of the TPC stated, thanking CARICOM, Kenya, Benin Republic, Jamaica, and other partners for their cooperation in the Multi-national Security Support Mission, which is currently operating in Haiti.
In the Communiqué issued after the Meeting, CARICOM Heads of Government noted the arrival in Haiti of some 400 security personnel from Kenya in support of the Multi-national Security Support Mission authorised by the UN Security Council, as well the shortfall in financing for the deployment of security support personnel from the CARICOM Member States.
CARICOM’s 47th Heads of Government Conference took place in Grenada from July 28 — 30, 2024, and was hosted by Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and the Secretary-General of CARICOM Carla Barnett.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Mitchell assumed the Chairmanship of CARICOM earlier this month for the next six months, based on CARICOM’s standard policy of rotating its chairmanship among heads of member countries every six months.
“This year, Grenada celebrates our 50th Jubilee year of Independence under the theme One People, One Journey, One Future and I look forward to the continued successes of our Caribbean Community, embracing our oneness, which stands as a testament to the strength of collaboration, the resilience of our people, and our steadfast commitment to regional progress,” Prime Minister Dickon said during the conference’s opening ceremony on July 28.
Guyana’s President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Outgoing Chairman, and CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett also delivered remarks at the conference’s opening ceremony.
