ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Chairman Roosevelt Skerrit says the lesson for the region emerging out of the most recent violent Jamaica experience is that “everyone of us, individually and collectively, must take a very strong stance against criminality in our country and the wider Caribbean”.
Skerrit, who is also the Prime Minister of Dominica, is at the same time strongly defending his country in the face of a suggestion made by one regional political scientist that the break down of law and order in Kingston crudely exposes the growing link between crime and politics in the region.
The position was expressed in a published article this week by University of the West Indies political scientist Dr. Tennyson Joseph in which he sought to warn the rest of the Caribbean not to shrug off the current problem as simply a Jamaican problem.
“We should all take careful note of similar trends in Caribbean politics. We have not yet seen the emergence of “garrison constituencies”, but we have had too many examples of the criminalisation of the state, for us to be comfortable,” Joseph said.
In the case of Dominica, Joseph chose to highlight Skerrit’s re-appointment of Ambrose George to his 2010 Cabinet against a background where former Prime Minister Pierre Charles and Skerrit himself had both fired George from previous cabinets.
But the Dominican leader, in dismissing the article, said he failed to see how it relates to the current debate taking place in the region.
“I cannot speak for the rest of the region but certainly in Dominica we have no leans with any criminal activity … I have taken and my government is taking a very strong stance against criminal activity in our country,” he told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“As a matter of fact, we have been to parliament for the last three sittings strengthening our laws and you are going to see even more draconian legislation coming to our parliament to give the law enforcement agencies even more authority to fight crime,” he said, adding that “we will leave no stone unturned”.
At least 73 civilians have been killed in volatile sections of the Jamaican capital this past week amid a new outbreak of violence triggered by attempts by the authorities to execute an extradition order against reputed gang leader Christopher “Dudus” Coke.
While expressed regret over the loss of life, Skerrit said CARICOM remained hopeful that the situation would be brought under control in short order.
Skerrit, who has been in touch with his Jamaican counterpart Bruce Golding, also said he had assured him of the region’s support at this time of internal uprising.
“I believe the government and people of Jamaica have the situation under control and they have the capacity to carry out the decisions that they have taken at this stage but whatever support they would need to assist them in fighting criminal activity, I have no doubt, as a law abiding community, we will certainly play whatever role, if any, is required,” he told CMC.
In the meantime, the CARICOM Chairman said the Georgetown-based Secretariat was moving ahead with plans for the staging of the annual leaders’ summit in Jamaica in July.
