ST. JOHN'S, Antigua — Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS), Sir Ronald Sanders, is urging CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett to resign over the mounting controversy surrounding her reappointment to the post.

According to Antigua News Room, Sir Ronald made the remarks on state-owned ABS Television, stating plainly that he would step down himself if faced with the same circumstances. "If I were the Secretary General of CARICOM and I'm being quite serious here and this had occurred, I would have resigned — because I would have said I must not stand in the way of Caribbean integration and the movement forward," he said.

The controversy stems from a reappointment process that has drawn sharp criticism from Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. CARICOM Chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew stated last month that Barnett had secured the "required majority" from regional leaders at the CARICOM summit held in Basseterre. Persad-Bissessar, however, was not present when the vote was taken and has publicly challenged the legitimacy of the process.

The Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister dismissed a subsequent statement from Prime Minister Drew, in which he maintained that Trinidad and Tobago was not "uninvited" to the retreat where the decision was made. Persad-Bissessar has since demanded the minutes of the retreat meeting, questioning the absence of a performance appraisal for Barnett and documentation relating to the original 2021 appointment process. Despite calling for a special meeting of regional leaders on the matter, Trinidad and Tobago was absent when leaders convened virtually last Friday to address the dispute.

Sir Ronald told viewers that it is clear to him that at least one "senior government official and Prime Minister" does not support Barnett's continued tenure, and that this reality should weigh heavily on the Secretary General's decision-making. "Why am I still there? Because it is clear that I will never enjoy her support — and why therefore would I put myself in a situation in which I am now the cause of the rift," he said. "If I were Carla Barnett, I would resign now on principle, because Kamla Persad-Bissessar will not attend a meeting if Carla Barnett is at that meeting, neither will her foreign minister."

ABS Television, which indicated it will broadcast the full interview with Sir Ronald at a later date, noted that the Antigua and Barbuda diplomat — who also serves as Chancellor of the University of Guyana — referenced the careers of former CARICOM secretaries general during the discussion.

Barnett, a Belizean economist, became the eighth CARICOM Secretary General on August 15, 2021.