By Ian Francis:
Let’s not get excited about the WikiLeaks report, which recently emanated in the region and was published on this medium. To put it bluntly, there should be no surprise or lamenting about the US Bridgetown based political attaché writing an opinion analysis about Prime Minister Gonzales.
I suspect that many other opinions and observations about other leaders and officials have reached the various Caribbean desk managers based in Washington and elsewhere. The home-based desk managers expect the bi-weekly reports as it is an integrated and formidable requirement for posting diplomats abroad. Caribbean diplomats posted in the various receiving capitals are usually given instructions to “look for more aid” or no instructions at all.
As I read the opinions and comments attributed to Prime Minister Gonzales, I could not help asking the following two questions. 1) Is St Vincent and the Grenadines a foreign and independent state that is expected to conduct its foreign relations in a manner that achieves its foreign policy goals? 2) Should St Vincent or any other independent Commonwealth Caribbean nation be in any one’s backyard so that they are inhibited in pursuing an independent foreign policy strategy?
It is interesting to read the opinions and analysis that the US Bridgetown-based Embassy has sent back to the Washington-based State Department. I think it is important to understand that, although Gonzales has been democratically elected as prime minister, there are many State Department hawks that are of the view that Prime Minister Gonzales is still at the University of the West Indies Mona campus in his capacity as guild president, being influenced by Munroe, Lewis, Rodney and others. Certainly, this is not the case.
However, it is reasonable to assume that previous political reporting about Gonzales before being elected to political office were negative and the existence of a possible hatched strategy to “stop him at all cost”. Fortunately, the electorate of St Vincent did not heed the “hatched plot” and went on to give the Comrade three successive majorities. Well done, Comrade.
As previously expressed in this medium, there is indeed a glaring and persistent weakness and don’t care attitude pertaining to the management of foreign policy especially in the OECS region. Too often, the cry is consistently heard that “we do not have the resources to maintain and equip an effective diplomatic mission”.
While this position might truly be the case, the glaring weaknesses can be seen from the level and type of personnel who are posted as diplomats abroad; no training or intensive briefing; no government foreign policies guidelines except to “get what you can for us, we need aid”.
This is why the persistent call is constantly made to OECS governments that foreign policy management must be independent and there should be no expectations for CARICOM or the OECS to become engaged in “dirty foreign policy work on Libya” under the false pretext of foreign policy coordination.
Now it is clear and evident to our OECS leaders that foreign accredited governments do report on local activities, which might not be accurate at all times, it is ample time that those OECS nations with foreign missions abroad should immediately begin a process of reflection and establishment of some goals and expectations as to the importance of having an established diplomatic mission in a foreign nation.
The level of political reporting by Caribbean diplomats abroad might very well be different from those we have seen in WikiLeaks. Our Caribbean diplomats abroad should report regularly and factually. Establishing contacts with key influencers, civil society groups, sympathetic legislators and others should be a prime focus.
We need to understand that large foreign governments with accredited missions to OECS nations have the resources and personnel to achieve their set goals. It is not about aid. It is all about reporting on deficiencies, weaknesses and presumed low mentality of our elected and appointed leaders and managers.
Over the next coming weeks, the possibility exist that more WikiLeaks reports will be released and they are likely to extend beyond Comrade. I have no doubt that they will be juicy and likely to shed more light on corruption and misconduct in high places.
As I continue this article on foreign policy management in the OECS, it is necessary that the Castries Secretariat beef up its technical resources to assist member states in crossing many political hurdles.
While many lame duck excuses are now emerging about the cost cutting rationale for eliminating the OECS mission in Ottawa, how many of the member states have closed their Washington or United Kingdom missions? A timely response will indicate none.
Another feeble and misleading excuse about the Ottawa mission from the Authority of the OECS indicates that CIDA has shifted its development assistance program to Barbados; therefore most aid discussions take place in Bridgetown.
It was only a few weeks ago I suggested in a written article in this medium that there should be a cooling of this arrangement as low level “pipsqueaks” at the Canadian High Commission in Barbados were using the aid question to get access to our leaders. I also stated that, in Canada, these “pipsqueaks” cannot even see their minister, deputy or assistant minister; however, once in the region they get unfettered access to our elected leaders.
Therefore, there are so many unanswered questions pertaining to foreign policy management in the OECS nations. Was the OECS Ottawa mission established solely as a development assistance conduit? What is the status of negotiations between Canada and Grenada on the visitor visa issue? What has the outgoing OECS High Commissioner to Canada done with the visa report that David Marshall, former Canadian High Commissioner to the OECS, told Grenada’s Thomas was in the OECS possession?
Frankly speaking, how can freedom of movement amongst OECS be a reality when member governments demonstrate such great impotence in the management of foreign affairs?
Come on guys, you can do better. Time for a reality check.
July 7, 2011
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