T’dad gov’t shrugs off Ali’s position on CARICOM SG appointment process

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 April 2026, 23:10 by Writer

Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Sean Sobers on Thursday stopped short of openly disagreeing with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali that regional leaders two months ago properly reappointed Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett.

“I respect His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his own positions adopted. He is a President of a sovereign country and his views are his own, Our views are our own. We’re a sovereign nation as well,” he told a news conference one day after the Guyanese leader said the same procedure was followed in February as when Dr Barnett was first appointed about five years ago, and he was satisfied with her performance.

The Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Minister, however, lashed out at former St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves for saying that he (Sobers) did not participate in one of the CARICOM summit meetings in Nevis because he suffers from seasickness and could not take the boat ride from St Kitts to Nevis.

Mr Sobers urged people not to be distracted from the real issues at hand that go against the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the regional organisation’s rule book. “Don’t cast any red herrings here for people to hold on to and then forget about what the real issue is which is that the procedure was not followed, which is that it was not an agenda item that was listed and there were several opportunities for individuals to indicate that this issue was discussed. That’s the real crux of the matter,” he said.

He said after the prime ministers of Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and The Bahamas returned home, the foreign ministers, as heads of delegations, were excluded from the retreat, though they participated in the caucus. That, he said, was confirmed by the CARICOM Secretary General and the Chef-de-Cabinet.

Mr Sobers suggested that Dr Gonsalves and former Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Affairs Minister in the then People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, Amery Browne were nothing but a “political has-been”.

Dr Gonsalves, who had been criticised sharply, said the countries could have been called and informed that the issue was raised under any other business and it would be discussed by leaders at their next meeting.

Mr Sobers said CARICOM Chairman, St Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew had since responded to correspondence from the Trinidad and Tobago government.

However, the minister said he would first have to obtain Cabinet approval of the correspondence, except to say that the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led administration was dissatisfied.

He said depending on the response to clarifications that were sought, the Cabinet would decide on its participation in the virtual CARICOM Summit in April or the face-to-face summit scheduled for July in St Lucia.

Trinidad and Tobago maintains that the reappointment or election of a new Secretary General was never on the agenda of the Community Council of Foreign Ministers to be forwarded to CARICOM leaders, plenary session or caucus.

He said also, on the morning of the retreat, there was no indication that it was down for discussion.

Further, he reiterated that the issue was not in the final communiqué or mentioned at the post-summit final press conference.

Five weeks after the February 24-27 CARICOM Summit, the Chairman issued a media statement that Dr Barnett was reappointed by the “required majority” of regional leaders.