Kamla firm on Barnett, repeats call for transparency on CARICOM chief

Apr 08, 2026 News

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(TRINIDAD EXPRESS) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has repeated her call for transparency from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) over the process used to reappoint Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday Persad-Bissessar said: “I again call on CARICOM for transparency on the surreptitious and odious process used to reappoint SG Barnett.”

She said Trinidad and Tobago remained committed to CARICOM but warned that Government will continue to challenge the process until the matter is resolved. “Trinidad and Tobago remains committed to CARICOM, but until this matter is transparently resolved, the organisation and its secretariat should absolutely expect no quarter from my Government” she said. “This is not a simple run-of-the-mill administrative appointment; it’s an appointment with long-term ramifications for my citizens.”

The Prime Minister said the appointment affects “the future over the coming five years of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy, security, integration, and foreign affairs.”

Persad-Bissessar said she will continue to pursue the issue publicly. “Therefore, in the interest of my citizens’ well-being, I will mercilessly, relentlessly, and if needed, ruthlessly publicly prosecute this matter until transparency is achieved,” she said.

Her statement recalled a series of actions taken by Trinidad and Tobago officials following the reappointment of Barnett. On 25^th March, 2026, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Sean Sobers wrote to CARICOM chairman Dr Terrance Drew, formally recording the country’s objection to Barnett’s reappointment. According to the statement, the Government’s concern is that the proposed reappointment was not included on the provisional agenda for the Fiftieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St Kitts and Nevis, was not considered during plenary, and was reportedly addressed only during a Heads of Government retreat.

The statement said Trinidad and Tobago and other member states were excluded from that retreat through their authorised representatives, raising concerns about the use of improper procedures. It said Trinidad and Tobago maintains the reappointment was not conducted in accordance with Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which requires formal consideration and appointment by the Conference.

This position was reaffirmed on 27^th March, when Sobers addressed Parliament and recorded the country’s objection, stating the action appeared “ultra vires Article 24”. Further correspondence was sent on 31^st March, to Drew and Barnett seeking clarification on the process. The letters requested details on when and how the matter was placed on draft agendas, what communications were issued to member states, whether governments were informed following the Joint Communiqué and closing press conference, and whether any draft decision was circulated confidentially after the retreat.

They also sought an explanation for any confidentiality surrounding the matter.

On the same date, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs wrote to Janice Miller, Chef-de-Cabinet, Office of the Secretary-General, requesting documentation and clarification on the reappointment process.

The letter noted that previous reappointments, including in 2016, followed established procedures and reflected the views of all Heads of Government. It stated that the current process appeared not to conform to CARICOM’s Rules of Procedure. Persad-Bissessar said no response has been received to date. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago who finance 22% of CARICOM’s budget deserve transparency, accountability, and faithful adherence to agreed rules,” she said.

‘Respect T&T’

Last month, Minister Sobers said in Parliament that the reappointment of Barnett was carried out in a surreptitious manner and had caused irreparable harm to the regional bloc. Sobers said he wrote to CARICOM chairman Drew, objecting to the reappointment and stating that Trinidad and Tobago was not part of the process. He advised then that during the CARICOM meeting in St Kitts in February, the “required majority” of CARICOM heads of government agreed to the reappointment of Barnett as Secretary-General, and her second term of office would begin in August 2026.

He said: “Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is not a coward. She attended the CARICOM Heads of Government and articulated, quite boldly, in her statement to the entire world the shortcomings of the Caribbean Community as it is constituted in its current format.

“I only hope that other leaders, both regionally and internationally, would have the same temerity to provide frank, open and honest positions on similar issues.” He said citizens throughout CARICOM must have confidence in how all organs of the institution operate, adding that it must act transparently and in accordance with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Sobers said T&T must be respected.

“We must demand that this country be afforded the respect it deserves, especially because we have been the largest contributor to the CARICOM budget since the inception of CARICOM, which now stands at 22% of the annual budget.”

He said the issue could have been placed on the agenda of the upcoming CARICOM Heads of Government meeting scheduled for 5^th-8^thJuly, in St Lucia. The minister said, notwithstanding this issue, T&T remains committed to the revitalisation of CARICOM, particularly the operations of the Secretariat, to ensure it is fit for purpose and responsive to the needs of the region.

Sobers said the Government appreciated the importance of the CARICOM market to the local and regional private sector, especially as T&T is both the largest importer of CARICOM goods and the largest exporter to CARICOM. Sobers said the Government’s role is to safeguard the interests of all citizens of T&T. “Mr. Speaker, we are a country that abides by the rules of CARICOM. We conduct our business with transparency and accountability, and we expect the same for all within the community,” he said.

The minister listed some of the annual payments made to major CARICOM institutions:

• CARICOM Secretariat— $35.5 million
• CARICOM Development Fund—$25 million
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency—$1.4 million
• CARICOM IMPACS—$16.1 million
• Caribbean Examinations Council—$10.3 million
• CARPHA—$14 million
• Caribbean Industrial Research Institute—$23.3 million
• CARICOM Competition Commission—$1.3 million.

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• CARICOM, Dr. Carla Barnett, Transparency

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