Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers has rubbished claims by St Vincent and the Grenadines Opposition Leader Dr Ralph Gonsalves that he did not attend the Caricom retreat in Nevis in February because he had seasickness.
Sobers rejected this, saying it was a “big bold lie”.
Speaking on his Unity Labour Party (ULP) radio station on Wednesday, Gonsalves claimed Trinidad and Tobago was invited to the Nevis retreat, saying, “I have been reliably informed that both the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the Foreign Minister were invited to come to the caucus of Caricom Heads in Nevis.”
Gonsalves said it was made known that Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar would not be travelling to Nevis and that Sobers would be her replacement, but that Sobers said he could not go to Nevis because he gets seasick.
Sobers refuted Gonsalves’ remarks yesterday, saying they were untrue, as he maintained Trinidad and Tobago was not invited.
He explained he had joked the night before about seasickness—but that on the morning of the retreat, he was ready to go when he was informed only Caricom Heads were invited.
“He (Gonsalves) should be more focused on what is taking place in St Vincent and trying to win one more seat than he currently has right now. In any event, in response to what he says, I say it’s a big, bold-faced lie. I never informed the Cabinet Secretariat nor the Chair that I could not attend because I was seasick or that I would get seasick,” said Sobers. He was speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.
He continued: “I informed the Chair that I, as the Head of Delegation, wanted to attend to represent Trinidad and Tobago’s interests. I was informed by a message thereafter that the decision was made that it was only Heads of Government and not Heads of Delegation to go to the retreat. That would have been at around 8.56 a.m. on Thursday morning, on the 24th of February.”
Sobers further explained what happened: “I then telephoned the Secretariat to confirm that the message was bona fide. She said it was. Subsequent to that, I then telephoned the Trinidad and Tobago Government’s Caricom Director, for her to call the Chef de Cabinet to also confirm whether or not the message was bona fide. She called and she confirmed from the Chef de Cabinet that the message was bona fide—that only heads of Government were to attend.”
The minister said thereafter, a message was sent out by the Chef de Cabinet outlining the boats that would be going to Nevis and listing the attendees on each boat.
He said on that list, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and The Bahamas were not included because those nations were represented by ministers and not heads.
“So, if Ralph’s statement is to be taken to be true, then everybody who didn’t get invited was seasick? I say again it is a bold-faced lie,” said Sobers.
He said Gonsalves should focus on monies owed to the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and gaining another seat in St Vincent.
He said Gonsalves’ comments serve as a distraction from the central issue—the surreptitious manner in which Dr Carla Barnett was reappointed as Secretary-General without the presence of T&T and other nations, in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
“I note again this was not an agenda item listed on the confirmed plenary. It was not an agenda item listed on the final plenary session. It was not an agenda item listed in the joint communiqué, nor was it an agenda item discussed at the press conference,” he said.
He also noted the issue was not on an agenda item for the said retreat.
Sobers said: “That is the central issue—that proper procedure was not followed. What matters is that I indicated as Head of Delegation I should be there, and I was told that I was not allowed to attend.”
The Express also obtained the text of a message that circulated on WhatsApp yesterday, which was purportedly sent to Caricom Foreign Ministers in February, which showed that they were dis-invited from the retreat.
The message stated: “Good morning Foreign Ministers. Chairman PM Drew has indicated that today will be a Heads only retreat. He apologises for any inconvenience. Ministers should therefore remain for the Community Council Meeting to complete its work, including those agenda items from the Heads’ agenda which Community Council is to consider and provide recommendations to Heads for adoption.”
He must go
Yesterday former Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne, speaking at an Opposition news conference, called on Sobers to step down over the Caricom meeting issue.
Challenging Sobers’ claims on the meeting, Browne said: “None were excluded, none were denied, none were dis-invited, and all were welcome.”
He claimed the UNC Government had an anti-Caricom agenda whose aim was to dismantle and disempower Caricom.
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles also spoke at the news conference on the issue and, recalling her time as an ambassador, questioned Sobers’ report on the meeting.
“If there’s one thing you cannot do is leave any of those meetings, especially if the Prime Minister was expected to be in attendance, you can’t leave, you must attend,” she said.
