00:00Former Assistant Secretary General for Trade and Economic Integration at the CARICOM Secretariat
00:06Joseph Cox says it is unfortunate.
00:09The issue has taken this long to resolve.
00:12Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessa has consistently maintained that the reappointment
00:17process of the Secretary General was unconstitutional, while several CARICOM leaders have supported
00:23the decision.
00:24Cox believes the matter should have been referred to the CCJ from the beginning.
00:29Two, to me, this is unfortunate that it has taken this long for that issue to be resolved.
00:36Because truthfully, most of us who had been looking at the issue from it became public would
00:45have said that given the issue that this is not an issue of contestability of an appointment
00:52or reappointment there too, that the CCJ would have been an obvious arbiter in this type
01:00of exercise.
01:01Cox tells the Morning Edition confidence is essential for anyone serving as CARICOM Secretary General,
01:08adding that if even one member state has serious objections, the matter should be addressed.
01:13He notes that the treaty provides a mechanism to resolve disputes of this nature.
01:19The treaty, as it is constructed, treated this issue in a very, as far as I'm concerned,
01:27very clear-cut manner, and for practical reasons, whereby when you have appointments of this nature,
01:35it has to be done by consensus. Everybody has to agree. And one negative vote accounts to effectively
01:45a veto. And no matter how you try and nuance it, the reality of life is that is what it
01:51comes
01:51down to.
01:52Cox also believes CARICOM must become more transparent. He says the regional body has operated with too
01:59much caution and maintains that the issue should be placed before the court and resolved through
02:05the legal process.
02:06As far as I'm concerned, put it to the court.
02:09Okay.
02:09Put it to the court, let the court rule on it, and then let the chips fall where they may.
02:15If the court says that, listen, they all have been, you know, ridiculous over this thing,
02:20and let the reappointment stand, then so be it.
02:25Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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