- By MINDELL SMALL,Guardian Staff Reporter

The United States is demanding that CARICOM recognise the new government of Haiti as legitimate and continue normal relations with it for the sake of stability in the region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell made the announcement in an interview with The Guardian from St. Kitts Thursday.

Mr Mitchell is a part of a delegation in that country, including Prime Minister Perry Christie, Attorney General Alfred Sears and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Michael Halkitis. They are attending CARICOM's 15th intercessional meeting at the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in the capital, Basseterre where Haiti is topping the agenda.

Mr Mitchell said the announcement by the United States is generating even further discussion on Haiti as CARICOM, earlier this month, questioned the constitutionality of the new government there.

"There was a demarche by the United States on all of the CARICOM countries, demanding that the Caribbean countries recognise the interim government of Haiti as the de jure and not just a defacto government," he said.

He said with that in mind, Heads now have to decide whether Haiti's seat in CARICOM should be made available to the interim government.

He indicated that he could not say whether the 15-nation bloc would eventually recognise Haiti's government as legitimate.

Dissention

In fact, a fair amount of dissention came from St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, who told reporters that since the Caribbean community did not approve of the manner in which the government changed in Haiti, it would be extremely difficult for delegates of that twin-island nation to sit in any CARICOM meeting with members of Haiti's interim government.

And in a move to iron out differences, CARICOM invited Haiti's new Prime Minister Gerard Latortue to attend the intercessional meeting despite him last week withdrawing his ambassador from Jamaica and threatening to terminate relations with the Caribbean community, after the Jamaican government welcomed former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to stay in that country for up to ten weeks.

Mr Douglas said Mr Latortue ought to do the responsible thing and give some account of his actions and statements to CARICOM.

Haitian PM not at meeting

Mr Mitchell said he had not seen Mr Latortue and added that he was not expected to be at the meeting.

"Because there were certain preconditions for him, which were set for the meeting. One of which was that he should find someway to change his position that he was reconsidering relations with CARICOM," he said.

"Because how could you have relations with somebody who doesn't want to have relations with you. And he, I gather, was unwilling to change his position," Mitchell added.

During the morning session, Heads dealt with the preparations for the Caribbean to host the Cricket World Cup in 2007.

And while the Heads were in that session the Attorney General, Minister Mitchell and Mr Halkitis met with Mr Randol Robinson, an African American political activist living in St. Kitts.

Mr Mitchell described Thursday's meetings as a "caucus" since they involved only the Heads of the member States and the Secretary General.

Other topics for discussion

Apart from Haiti, other topics to be discussed at the St. Kitts meeting include the implementation a Single Market and Economy (CSME), the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and CARICOM's budget.

Mr Mitchell said those issues would be addressed today. The delegation is expected to return home tonight or Saturday.

New chairman

Meanwhile Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson handed over the chairmanship of CARICOM to Antigua and Barbuda's new Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer.

Mr Patterson had served as Chair of the body for an extended term. He spoke on the transfer of power and the matter of the former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's temporary asylum in Jamaica.

Asylum for Aristide

Now, Aristide is expected to take permanent asylum in South Africa, according to a spokesman of that country's government. The Associated Press reported that South African President Thabo Mbeki's made the offer to Aristide. However, in order for the move not to be seen as political, he had reportedly asked Aristide not to come until after that country's general elections to be held next month.

The report also said South African opposition leaders are opposed to their government's support of Aristide.