The former president of the Senate, Chester Humphrey, says the Grenada government should convene a sitting of the Parliament to debate a request by the United States install radar equipment and associated technical personnel at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) here.
Humphrey, who has already indicated that he would be willing to lead a peace protest against Washington’s request, told a television progrmme here on Monday night that he is of the opinion that legislators should play a role in the decision process of the Dickon Mitchell government.
‘I think it’s important to convene a sitting of parliament on this before the government makes any commitment to the Americans one way or the other. Parliament needs to meet on this matter,’ said the veteran trade unionist, adding that the matter should not be used to score political points.
‘Secondly, I don’t think this is an opportunity for scoring political points, I think we have to support the government,’ said Humphrey who served as the Labour Movement representative in the Upper House for more than two decades and served as the President General of the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union for 26 years.
Last week, the Grenada government acknowledged that it had received a request for the temporary installation of radar equipment and associated technical personnel at the Maurice Bishop International Airport from the United State government.
‘The Ministries of National Security, Legal Affairs and Foreign Affairs are carefully assessing the request and reviewing the request in technical consultations, in coordination with the Grenada airports Authority and other relevant agencies,’ the Mitchell government said, adding that it is carefully reviewing the request in accordance with established national procedures.
‘Any decisions will be made only after all technical and legal assessments are completed. We wish to assure our citizens that any decision taken will be guided by Grenada’s sovereignty, public safety, and national interest, including the protection of our tourism industry, the traveling public, and the country’s economic well-being,’ the government said, adding it would continue to keep the public informed as developments unfold.
Also appearing on the television programme was political scientist Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, a former professor of political science and provost and senior vice president at York College of The City University of New York.
‘I think it is incumbent on the government to act now by having not only consultations with the appropriate constituencies within Grenada but also be mindful of the broader geopolitical intercourse that this might involve and extend the consultations beyond the Caribbean,’ said Griffith, who has been a consultant to Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other agencies, and has testified before the United States Congress on Caribbean security issues.
‘Some CARICOM (Caribbean Community) leaders are silent on this matter for two reasons, they don’t want to voice their views, especially if that view is against United States approach. They may be so disinclined because of the very United States new approach to dealing with them in relation to the Cuban workers issue in relation to visas that may be revoked or threatened the revocation including Grenada where the threat against one minister was there.
‘There may be concerns in regard to return of people from their nations and requests to support people from non Caribbean nations in their place. So, there are a number of other reasons why some Caribbean leaders may want to take the reticent approach,’ said Griffith, the Guyana-born scholar, who received the 2015 William J. Perry Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education.