Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Kenny D. Anthony in his capacity as CARICOM Head of Government with responsibility for spearheading CARICOM's support to the process of political normalisation in Guyana, today held discussions with CARICOM Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington in Castries Saint Lucia, on the status of implementation of the Herdmanston Accord and the Saint Lucia Statement - the two agreements to which CARICOM and the two major political parties in Guyana, the PPP/Civic and the PNC, are signatories.

In reviewing the progress to date, Prime Minister Anthony expressed great satisfaction at the agreement emerging between the two parties for the establishment of an Ethnic Relations Commission as a mechanism to respond to the political and other challenges in Guyana arising from it's ethnic diversity. He was also pleased with the continuing progress in the Constitutional Reform Process. Prime Minister Anthony saw these developments as very positive steps towards the process of political normalisation in Guyana. He reiterated the appeal by Heads of Government for an early meeting between President Jagdeo and Mr. Hoyte as a further step in this direction.

The Prime Minister also discussed with the Secretary-General, the question of the continuing role, beyond 31 December 1999, of the CARICOM Facilitator. CARICOM Heads of Government had agreed at their last Meeting held in October 1999 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, to extend the tenure of the Facilitator to the end of the year.

Prime Minister Anthony has now requested Secretary-General Carrington to ascertain from the two other signatories of the Herdmanston Accord and the Saint Lucia Statement, their positions as regards the retention of the Facilitator. The Prime Minister saw these views, as well as those of Civil Society, as being critical in enabling the Bureau of Heads of Government to make recommendations, at its next meeting, as regards CARICOM's future position on this matter.

On behalf of the Caribbean Community, the Prime Minister took the opportunity to convey to the Government and people of Guyana, best wishes for a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and for a New Year of greater national harmony and unity.