Golding ready for CARICOM leadership

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has expressed confidence that he will be able to handle the taxing demands of leading CARICOM while tackling the many problems facing his administration at home.

"It is a question of how you manage your time and that is something I will have to do," Golding told journalists as he responded to questions during the closing media briefing of the 31st CARICOM Heads of Government conference.

"CARICOM is going to take up time (but) I'm going to ensure that I have the assistance I need," he added while arguing that it was an important regional endeavour at a critical juncture.

"I'm not going to allow it to, in any way, be distracted by the domestic political considerations," said the prime minister, who assumed the chairmanship of the group on Sunday after Haitian President René Préval declined the post to concentrate on the reconstruction of his country which was devastated by the January 12 earthquake.

Several commentators across the region have questioned the wisdom of having Golding lead the regional grouping at a time when he is still fighting for his political life locally and leading his administration's charge against crime and criminal gangs.

The commentators have noted that during the six months Golding will be in the chair, CARICOM leaders are slated to consider a governance structure to ensure that decisions of the Heads of Government are implemented.

The regional heads are also to conduct a review of the CARICOM Secretariat with the intention of implementing the changes at their next intersessional meeting scheduled for early next year in Grenada.