Protest against EPA
The Bahama Journal | March 8th, 2008
Protest Against EPA
By Sasha L. Lightbourne
The preliminary signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was deliberate and not an accident according to Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing.
Mr. Laing’s comments came on the heels of a protest staged by Bahamians Agitating for a Referendum on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (BARF).
BARF (sic) demonstrated with picket signs shortly after the opening ceremonies of the 19th Intercessional meeting of Caribbean Heads of Government.
The EPA is designed to open up trade between Caribbean and European countries but according to Fayne Thompson, a member of BARF, the government should not seal away its sovereignty and explain to Bahamians what the EPA is.
"We feel that this EPA is a CSME in disguise," he said. "We remember how the Bahamian people reacted to CSME. We oppose this because we feel that the EPA only asks that we re-colonize the Bahamas by allowing persons to come into the country under any terms and conditions."
Mr. Thompson said the EPA is dangerous for the Bahamas.
"We oppose it and this is the beginning of a protest like CSME. It will continue until the Bahamian people are informed about it," he said. "We challenge the government to lay out the details of this agreement if they know it."
He said once Bahamians understand what the details of the agreement is about they will oppose it.
Paul Moss, chairman of the group said the government has a responsibility to the citizens who reside in this jurisdiction.
"They have allowed CARICOM in the form of CARIFOR to negotiate on behalf of Bahamians," Mr. Moss said. "They do not live in this country, they don’t have ancestors here so it is wrong for the government to abdicate their responsibility."
Mr. Moss said what the government has done is allowed CSME through the backdoor.
"We know that the agreement calls for Europeans to come into this jurisdiction and work we know this agreement allows foreigners to bid on government contracts," he said. The government ought to be more responsible than that. They need to allow the Bahamian people to have a debate on this issue."
Mr. Moss claimed that his group had to search hard for the document and advised the media to get copies of it.
"They plan on signing this agreement in the middle of April in Barbados and we will reject it," Mr. Moss said. "They have to allow this country to develop. America and Europe took time to develop."
Mr. Moss stressed that the government needs to protect the land.
"We know the Europeans have depleted their fishing stock and we don’t want them to deplete ours. We are here exercising our constitutional right articles 15- 25 the freedom of movement, freedom of assembly and freedom speech," he said. We will not allow our leaders to let the work of our forefathers to go down the drain."
Minister Laing, who was in attendance at the opening ceremonies, said the EPA has not been fully agreed upon as yet.
"We can not adjust the agreement with regards to the goods aspect because that part has already concluded," he said. "It’s the services part of the agreement that we have been given six months to conclude."
Minister Laing however suggested that anyone who suggests that the EPA is the same as CSME shows a lack of appreciation for the substantial difference between the two.
"The EPA is a free trade agreement involving the movement of goods, involves trade services and trade related matters," he said. "The CSME involves the free movement of goods, free movement of capital, free movement of labour and a proposal to have a single currency."
He explained that CSME includes the free movement of labour which is not a provision of the economic partnership agreement and not a provision of the world trade organization.
"In so far as public awareness is concerned we agree with those who believe the public ought to become more aware and we are moving to do that," Minister Laing said. "There are going to be public forums and publications."
Minister Laing however stressed that the EPA was being proposed for an excess of 5 years and in 5 years there had not been the kind of public awareness about it.
"Public awareness should have been done prior to our having [come into office]," he said.
The Economic Partnership Agreements are defined by the Cotonou Agreement as the major instrument of economic and trade co-operation between the EU and the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific groups of states).
Therefore, despite their independent legal status, EPAs are an integral part of the Cotonou approach.
Their objectives and principles are defined in detail in the Agreement.
EPAs are designed to foster the smooth and gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy, thereby promoting their sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication in the ACP countries.
Thus, EPAs are, above all, an instrument for development.
The EU is currently engaged in negotiations with six ACP regions (West Africa; Central Africa; Eastern and Southern Africa; Southern Africa Development Community; Pacific and Caribbean).
