PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar is undoubtedly relieved to have behind her the hosting of the 34th Caricom Summit so that she could be more fully focused in what  she seems to relish so much—party politicking against ALL opposition comers—even within her United National Congress.

This time around, for immediate attention on her UNC’s radar are: Jack Warner–until recently, long-held bosom ‘comrade’, now a major foreboding political threat in a fierce battle for the Chaguanas West by-election;
Plus, of course, the so-called “emailgate’ controversy that revolves around the People’s National Movement leader, Keith Rowley, now being increasingly driven on the defensive over the authenticity of the email messages he had presented in parliament.
Much are at stake for the political future of the Prime Minister’s Peoples Partnership Government, as well as the opposition PNM, in both the contest for the July 29 Chaguanas West by-election—primarily a battle between Warner and the UNC’s Khadijah Ameen—as well as the final fact-based outcome of the ongoing “emailgate” warfare.
Hence, it is understandable that having had to play host, first for US Vice-President Joseph Biden’s visit and, quickly thereafter, China’s President Xi Jinping she would have been most anxious to bring closure to the 34th CARICOM summit to devote more time to strategising for victory in the Chaguanas West by-election.
The more so, to judge from current straws in the wind, that Warner seems heading for an historic personal victory in Chaguanas West, having played more than an anchorman’s role to keep the UNC’s ship in safe political waters for what was to result in its landslide electoral return to state power in May 201
Decision-making strategy
It is, however, difficult to assess whether or not domestic political constraints may have in any way impacted on decision-making processes during the summit.
After all, since the tradition persists in favour of the consensual approach in decision-making, then the claimed “achievements” or perceived “disappointments” belong to ALL participating Heads of Government.
For now, as media colleagues familiar with CARICOM’send-of-summit communiqués would be aware, the just-concluded one in Port-of-Spain may recall two distinct differences:
First, in the conservation of paper work by restricting editing to produce a four full-page communiqué, compared with previous ones that  go beyond ten pages.  Secondly, there may have been good reasons to avoid the customary approach for a lengthy communiqué.
It could perhaps be a case of the Heads being sensitive to the reality that having done comparatively little to inspire new initiatives for resolving old and persisting problems, it would be sensible to settle for what they chose to endorse for official public information before engaging in farewell pleasantries.
Sensitive issues
Take, for examples,  two quite sensitive issues of widespread interest on which much was expected but precious little reported in the communiqué—‘regional air transportation’ and ‘crime and security’:
+On “transportation in the region”, as highlighted in the communiqué, “Heads of government, (determined) with regard to the re-introduction of the Single Domestic Space (SDS), in the interest of hassle-free travel in the region, mandated the CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with CARICOM-IMPACS, and other relevant agencies, to coordinate and commence discussions on the strategy for re-introduction of the SIDS…
“They referred a number of issues in this sector to the Bureau of Heads of Government including better co-ordination among airlines in the region with a view to providing a better service….”
Phew! What utter gobbledegook, to offer as “information” on decisions taklen , to citizens of our Community crying out against recurring frustration over rising air fares ; frequent inconveniences resulting from changes in flight arrangements; and then to often face immigration officers who seem to delight in being unpleasant, if not worse.
What precisely the Community Secretariat and IMPACS (an Implementation Agency for Crime and Security mechanism established during our hosting of Cricket World Up 2007) would now do to resolve burning issues pertaining to pressing air transportation problems; hostility at airports and the challenges relating to crime and security?
The strategy of political convenience so often resorted to by our Heads of Government in referencing unresolved issues to what exists as the ‘CARIC0M Bureau’ has miserably failed in helping to narrow the very wide implementation deficit problem plaguing an integration movement now in its 40th year of existence.
The Bureau is simply a committee of three changing Heads of Government that functions between an inter-sessional meeting of the leaders and a regular summit.
Though they would not admit it the Bureau prevails as a self-serving mechanism for delaying implementation of decisions unanimously adopted. The decisions referred to the Bureau can surface the Heads half-yearly inter-sessional meeting when matters that still remain unresolved can be placed on the agenda for a regular annual summit.
As Trinis like to say: ‘Yuh think it easy’!
endit