By KENALI
Is Dr. Terrence Drew the solution-driven modern face of Caricom leadership?
Drew’s decision to hop over to Trinidad and Tobago identifies him as goal-oriented and assertive, a wide gap from other stodgy and myopic regional leaders.
The 50-year-old medical doctor who leads St. Kitts-Nevis clearly appreciates T&T’s essential role in and value to Caricom’s stated ambitions.
So, instead of staying in his safe zone and throwing barbs, like certain other Caricom prime ministers, Drew opted to visit Port of Spain.
He is providing relevance and vitality to his newly-secured one-year term as rotating chair of the regional group.
He is embodying dynamic leadership when it is most needed.
His ambition — to find common ground on fractitious issues with Kamla Persad-Bissessar — is timely and laudable.
Ms. Persad-Bissessar’s stout support to the United States military presence in the Caribbean placed her at odds with some old fogey leaders up the Caribbean archipelago.
Several prime ministers had cosy ties with fallen Venezuelan tyrant Nicholas Maduro.
The dramatic declines in drug transhipment and associated crimes have vindicated Ms. Persad-Bissessar’s unapologetic stand.
Still, the friction simmers.
Someone was required to reach across the waters and hold hands.
Enter Dr. Drew. a neophyte leader still idealistic and without the vanity and prejudices of longstanding tin gods.
Drew is inevitably finding out that the differences were more illusionary than real.
Ms. Persad-Bissessar is a committed regionalist.
Unity and consensus are hallmarks of her leadership.
Now that Drew has shown his wares. he must work equally diligently on Caricom’s ills of crime, economic under-development, travel woes. high import food bill. and sporting decline.
He clearly can’t tame these challenges alone or in a single year.
But he can inspire and kickstart the requisite change.
He is off to a flying start.
