On 1 March 1999, Mrs. Janet Jagan representing the PPP/Civic and Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte representing the PNC met with the CARICOM Facilitator at Colgrain House, the official residence of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community. This location was agreed with the kind permission of the Secretary-General. The Meeting commenced at 17:08 hrs.
The main purpose of the Meeting was to settle the parameters and guidelines within which the political dialogue may continue.
At the outset Mr. Hoyte raised his concern about remarks made by Dr. Luncheon at the last Statutory Meeting of the Dialogue held on 15 February 1999 to the effect that Mr. Carberry and the other members of the PNC Dialogue Team were not the equals of the PPP/Civic. Mr. Hoyte contended that there was no basis for continued discussion unless the Parties in dialogue were negotiating as equals. In the circumstances, he required that Dr. Luncheon withdraw his remarks and make an appropriate apology.
Mrs. Jagan replied that Dr. Luncheon was speaking about equality in terms of government and opposition and was not speaking in personal terms. She thought that the matter was trivial and was not a basis on which the Dialogue should break down. She contended that there were far more important issues affecting the country which need to be addressed and that every effort should be made to deal with those issues.
In an effort at compromise the Facilitator made two proposals:
(i) Since the offending remarks were made at the Dialogue it may be appropriate if a suitable apology and withdrawal of the remarks complained of be made at a reconvened Meeting of the Dialogue where the issue of a suitable withdrawal and apology be the first item of business. If Dr. Luncheon made an appropriate statement, acceptable to the PNC Dialogue Team that should dispose of the matter;
(ii) Both Dr. Luncheon and Mr. Carberry attend a reconvened Meeting between Mr. Hoyte as representative of the PNC and Mrs. Jagan as representative of the PPP/Civic where they would both address the issue and if a statement was made by Dr. Luncheon which was acceptable to Mr. Carberry and the PNC that would put an end to the matter.Mr. Hoyte found both these proposals unacceptable. He contended that Dr. Luncheon’s statement of inequality was now in the public domain and that it was therefore appropriate that any withdrawal and apology be in the public domain as well. He said that Dr. Luncheon must know if he has done something wrong and if he accepts that he has done something wrong, he should be man enough to make amends.
Mrs. Jagan suggested that other important issues like the Elections Commission be discussed. She outlined her Party’s position on the matter of the Elections Commission. Mr. Hoyte maintained his view that there was no basis for discussing any matter in the Dialogue unless the PNC could be assured that they were discussing issues as equals and not from a position of inferiority. He also insisted that an appropriate withdrawal and apology be made by Dr. Luncheon.
No agreement was reached on this basic issue. At the suggestion of the Facilitator it was agreed that the Parties reconsider and review their respective positions after consultation with their Party colleagues and that a further meeting between Mrs. Jagan as representative of the PPP/Civic and Mr. Hoyte as representative of the PNC would take place after the Tenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, at a time and place mutually convenient to both Parties.
The Meeting ended at 18:12 hours.
Office of the CARICOM Facilitator
1 March 1999.
