(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Kenny Anthony, of Saint Lucia, is calling for "immediate amendment to the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society and other appropriate instruments, to authorise if necessary, expulsion of a Member State which repudiates the democratic process by violence and intimidation.”

In his address to the opening of the 17th Inter-Sessional Meeting of The Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at the Port of Spain Hilton Conference Centre Thursday 9 February, Prime Minister Anthony who holds responsibility for Governance and Justice among Community Heads of Government told CARICOM Heads of that “a clear and unambiguous message must be issued from the Community that it will not tolerate or accept unlawful and unconstitutional interruption of the democratic process.”

Prime Minister Anthony welcomed Tuesday’s Haitian elections stating that “Haiti showed typical bravery and courage by exercising, in the face of untold odds, the right to elect in the first instance, a president of their choice.”

He said the Government of Saint Lucia was very happy that Haiti has once again embraced electoral democracy, and that from all indications, the people of Haiti have shown “incredible enthusiasm” for the electoral process.

“This time the voice of the people of Haiti must be allowed to prevail. Never again should the Haitian people be made to suffer the dishonour and indignity of having a government imposed upon them,” Dr. Anthony declared.

CONTACT:

Calvin G. Brown
cbrown@caricom.org