Former St Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves defended the legality of Dr. Carla Barnett’s reappointment as CARICOM Secretary-General by citing Article 28 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which dictates the voting procedures for the heads of government conference.
Gonsalves on Wednesday, explained that while decisions typically require a unanimous affirmative vote, the treaty explicitly states that an abstention does not invalidate a decision provided that a three-quarters majority votes in favor.
Crucially, Gonsalves noted that under paragraph 3 of Article 28, a member state’s omission or failure to participate in a vote is legally deemed an abstention.
“Because the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago purposely absented themselves from the caucus meeting where the vote occurred, their absence was officially recorded as an abstention”.
“Consequently, because a three-quarters majority of the heads of government was still present and voted affirmatively, Dr. Barnett’s reappointment was secured by the required majority and is legally binding”.
Furthermore, Gonsalves refuted the Trinidadian government’s reliance on a different section of the treaty, Article 24, to argue against the reappointment.
He clarified that Article 24 outlines the functions of the office of the Secretary-General, not the voting rules, and emphasized that the conference of heads of government acts as the supreme organ of CARICOM with the unquestioned authority to make this direct appointment.