Pressure mounting

THE heat is being turned up on the government of the Dominican Republic (DR), as a September 23 ruling of that country’s Constitutional Court continues to send waves of concern across the Caribbean Sea. The ruling effectively renders stateless thousands of persons, mostly of Haitian descent.

At the forefront of the protests against the decision has been Prime Minister of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. He wasted no time in recording his dismay, sending not one, but two letters to the President of the DR. In addition, he extended his campaign beyond the realm of moral suasion by moving to have the Spanish-speaking territory suspended from participation in CARIFORUM, as well as the PetroCaribe initiative. In further evidence of the Vincentian leader’s keen attention to the matter, it was the mission from St. Vincent and the Grenadines that brought the issue to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

CARICOM, CARIFORUM, OAS, PetroCaribe, Dr. Gonsalves is leaving no avenue unexplored in his quest to sway the Dominican Republic. His has been the most strident voice on this issue, but he is by no means the only one. Former diplomat and regional commentator, Sir Ronald Sanders, in his most recent press column, called on CARICOM governments to act. He submitted that with its lack of military might or economic power, CARICOM’s only strengths are “the depth of the intellectual capacity of its people, and moral suasion that it should exercise by example”.

“In the international community, the States of CARICOM should be seen to stand up for the values of human rights, the rule of law and democracy,” Sir Ronald insisted.

CARICOM’s initial position was tentative, expressing “deep concern” and calling on the DR “to adopt measures to protect the human rights and interests of those made vulnerable by this ruling and its grievous effects”. The Secretary General had initially indicated that it would attempt to treat the matter with quiet diplomacy, but now, a Special Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Heads of Government met on Tuesday in Port of Spain to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States has already made its position known. In a statement issued at the close of the 58th Meeting of the OECS Authority last Friday, the members of the OECS joined Dr. Gonsalves in calling for assertive action with regard to dealings with the Dominican Republic in CARICOM, CARIFORUM and PetroCaribe.

The CARICOM Bureau meeting concluded on Tuesday, so will we see quiet diplomacy give way to strong-arm tactics? It would certainly be a departure from the usual.

But more importantly, will anything change for the thousands affected by the ruling?

Legal adviser to the Executive of the Dominican Republic, Ramón Pina Toribio, told the OAS Permanent Council in October that in his country, the Constitutional Court’s judgments are “irrevocable and final. They constitute binding precedents for the government and all organs of the State”. Last week, deputy foreign affairs minister, César Dargam, was quoted in the DR daily newspaper Diario Libre that CARICOM had no authority to sanction the DR, describing much of the protests taking place in the international arena as “noise and smokescreens”. Meanwhile, on Friday, the DR government announced that it has developed a plan to resolve the legal status of these dispossessed people, but the details are yet to be revealed.

We continue to watch these developments with interest.