Luis Almagro
The Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, says he stands by his statements and actions as he seeks to defend himself against criticism from CARICOM that they were being made outside the bounds of his remit as the head of an international organisation.
Earlier this week, CARICOM chairman and Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris, said Mr Almargo's latest manifestation of his inappropriate behaviour followed his statement regarding free and fair elections in Dominica.
But in a statement yesterday, the OAS Secretary General, who has also fallen afoul of the regional grouping on his position regarding the unfolding situation in Venezuela, declared that the CARICOM chairman was wrong in his assertion.
Mr Almagro says, in his tweet published on February 7, he acknowledges having met with the former Dominica ambassador to the OAS, Crispin Gregoire, who expressed concern that the upcoming elections in Dominica would not be free and fair.
He says it was requested that the OAS assist to help ensure a level playing field for the polls.
The OAS Secretary General says his comments on Dominica were based on the conversation with Mr Gregoire.
The Dominica government had also written to Mr Almargo demanding an apology.
Mr Almargo did not make any reference to Dominica's letter in his statement yesterday.
However, he highlighted international reviews which claim that Dominica has the lowest rate of implementation -10 percent- of the recommendations of OAS Electoral Observation Missions.
Mr Almagro says, when the recommendations are not implemented or followed, this does not help member states increase the level of trust from the opposition and the international community in their electoral processes.
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