During the visit of the CARICOM Fact-Finding Mission to Haiti on 5-7 January 2004, political opposition and civil society leaders expressed interest in meeting with CARICOM Heads of State and Government, in order to express their views directly to the CARICOM leadership. To this end, a meeting is scheduled to take place in Nassau, The Bahamas, on 20-21 January 2004 between several Heads of Government of CARICOM and representatives of the political opposition, civil society and the religious sector.
The Heads of Government also expect to meet with President Aristide and his party. Any such meeting, will be held separately and at a different time and place.
In view of the increasing concern expressed by the international community over the deteriorating political situation in Haiti, CARICOM Leaders, earlier this week in the margins of the Special Summit of the Americas in Monterrey, Mexico, obtained the agreement of President George Bush of the USA, Prime Minister the Hon Paul Martin of Canada and Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria of the Organisation of American States, to send observers to the meeting in Nassau.
