STATEMENT ON THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) notes with profound concern and deep disappointment the decision of the British Government to dissolve the Government and the legislature, as well as to suspend the right to trial by jury in the Turks and Caicos Islands all in reaction to the adverse findings of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the administration of the territory.

The imposition of direct rule by the Governor is a regrettable forced step backwards for this Associate Member of the Caribbean Community. The Caribbean Community reiterates its principled position that the democratic process cannot be strengthened by removing representative democracy from the citizens of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Community views this action as counterproductive. It maintains that, on the contrary, it would have been far more beneficial, and the results more sustainable, to involve the people of the territory through their elected representatives, in the efforts required to strengthen the good governance and public administrative processes of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which is the stated ultimate goal of the British Government.

It is the firm hope of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM0 that this action by the British Government will be for a very limited duration.