Caribbean News
Jamaica’s CARICOM Chairmanship to focus on People, Partnerships & Prosperity
Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaica will be leading dialogue and action under the theme ‘People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future’, when the country assumes chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on July 1, 2025.
This was revealed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, during a briefing with the diplomatic corps at the Ministry’s offices in downtown Kingston on Tuesday (June 3).
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, will assume the CARICOM chairmanship from Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley. Dr. Holness will serve for a six-month period up to December 31, 2025, when he will hand over the reins to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, Hon. Terrance Drew.
During his chairmanship, Dr. Holness will host the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, which will bring together CARICOM member states, associate member states, representatives from regional bodies and specially invited guests.
Senator Johnson Smith outlined that the meeting will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, from July 6 to 8. She also unveiled the official logo of the conference, which features Jamaica’s national bird – the hummingbird, the colours of the Jamaican flag and the signature blue of CARICOM.
The Foreign Affairs Minister noted that the theme of Jamaica’s chairmanship, which will take centre stage at the 49th conference, “was
chosen to ensure that we are able to address the challenges and opportunities of our time within the four pillars of our community – economic integration, human and social development, foreign policy coordination, and security”.
Senator Johnson Smith outlined, further, that Jamaica intends to place emphasis on how the community can deepen its collaboration within the context of a dynamic global environment to advance shared developmental goals.
“One particular area of focus for us will be security as we seek to increase focus on transnational organised crime, especially gangs, and how we enhance collaborative measures to tackle this widespread issue,” she stated.
“While the plans form part of a long-term strategy, we anticipate that any immediate progress in this area will also contribute to the ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in Haiti, and address their issues of heightened gang activity, which has exacerbated their multidimensional crisis,” she added.
The Foreign Affairs Minister shared that Jamaica will be holding a security technology expo alongside the 49th regular meeting.
“We are taking the opportunity to showcase the significant strides made by Jamaica in crime fighting, thanks in large part to partnerships and to the strategic use of technology,” Senator Johnson Smith said.
She explained that the security expo will be open to delegates and their technical teams, allowing for the sharing of tools and best practices.
Mrs. Johnson Smith also highlighted that the conference will be preceded by the 18th CARICOM road race, which will be held on July 5 in observance of CARICOM Day.
“Teams from across the region will be participating in this 10K or 5K run and walk, which is linked to the region’s continued promotion of healthy lifestyles among our population to tackle non-communicable diseases and promote health and wellness,” the Senator informed.
The road race will be followed by the opening ceremony and welcome reception for the 49th regular meeting, hosted by Prime Minister Holness, on July 6.
“On the 7th and 8th of July, our main business sessions will take place, and we will, in that context, deliberate on the important priorities of the region,” the Minister said.
Matters to be discussed in the closed sessions include the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), climate change and climate financing, food and nutrition security, regional security issues including the situation in Haiti and regional approaches to transportation, education, digitalisation, telecommunications, population issues and education transformation.
The key outcomes of the 49th Regular Meeting will be presented in a press conference at the end of the closed sessions.
CONTACT: DONIQUE WESTON
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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