Region's leaders confident Jamaica can solve crime problem

- Junior Dowie

Prime Minister Owen Arthur, right, makes a point following his arrival in Jamaica yesterday afternoon for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair today. From left are CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Edwin Carrington and Guyanese Prime Minister Bharrat Jagdeo.

Glenda Anderson, Staff Reporter

CARICOM nations are not fazed by Jamaica's crime problem and regional leaders are confident that the P. J. Patterson Government can find adequate solutions.

According to Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who along with Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo and CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Edwin Carrington, arrived in the island yesterday for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, today, there is no need for the region to panic.

"Obviously anything that can be sold to the world press as bad news can have a negative effect," Mr. Arthur said on arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport early yesterday afternoon. "It's not something we welcome, but at the same time we should not overly panic."

Asked about possible assistance to Jamaica by other regional nations to deal with the crime problem here, Mr. Arthur said he had not been approached, but he believed Mr. Patterson's projection that the current Government could handle the problem.

"I believe the Prime Minister (of Jamaica) had projected quite properly the perception that this was something that his Government could manage," Mr. Arthur said.

Other regional leaders are expected in Jamaica today for the meeting with Mr. Blair. They include Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday, Bahamian Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, and St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister, Denzil Douglas.

Belizean Prime Minster Said Musa did not arrive yesterday as scheduled. However, Belize plans to send a delegation to the meeting.

CARICOM leaders are positioning themselves to take advantage of new changes in the global environment, as well as iron out details for a new relationship with Britain. While not prepared to go into specific considerations, Mr. Arthur said that the region's expectations were essentially for a new working relationship.

"We are seeking to structure a deeper broader relationship," Mr. Arthur said. "Both areas Britain and the Caribbean are now in a mode of transitioning, where our roles are changing and our positions are changing.

"At this juncture where we are both in this position it is very important that we identify structural mechanisms that enable us in the region to maximise opportunities and minimise the dislocating effects of this transitioning," he added.

This structure would then form the basis for other nitty-gritty issues, which Mr. Arthur added, "ranged from trade to security matters." Other considerations would include debt relief, the Caribbean's HIV-AIDS status, and the Caribbean Court of Justice.

On the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice, Dr. Carrington said: "Once that is in place, other issues will follow, areas like assistance in training, assistance in policing, and assistance for the court. It will also determine terms of agreement to policies that we make as a region."

Prime Minister Blair is visiting the island as part of a three nation Caribbean and Latin American tour.

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