US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO126

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000126 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - MSEIBEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, ETRD, PREL, EMIN, ETRD, NS 
SUBJECT: LOCAL PUNDIT'S CRITICISM OF FTAA GETS BIG MEDIA 
    ATTENTION IN SURINAME 
 
REF: 03 PARAMARIBO 796 
 
1. SUMMARY: A JANUARY 19 EDITORIAL BY LOCAL PUNDIT NICO 
WAAGMEESTER CRITICIZED THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS 
(FTAA) PROCESS FOR STRAYING FROM THE ORIGINAL IDEALS OF 
DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY, FREE TRADE, AND SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT.  WAAGMEESTER, A MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATIVE 
EMPLOYERS' UNION (VSB), LAMENTED THE SHIFT FROM A FOCUS ON 
POVERTY REDUCTION TO ONE OF MARKET ACCESS.  DESPITE 
PRESIDENT RONALD VENETIAAN'S ATTEMPT TO GARNER SUPPORT FOR 
FTAA IN HIS NOVEMBER 25 INDEPENDENCE SPEECH IN WHICH HE 
CALLED ON SURINAMERS TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE 
FTAA AND THE CARIBBEAN SINGLE MARKET ECONOMY (CSME) PRESENT, 
ANTI-FTAA RHETORIC CONTINUES TO GET GREAT PLAY IN THE LOCAL 
MEDIA.  (SEE REFTEL.)  END SUMMARY. 
 
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FTAA NO LONGER FOCUSED ON POVERTY REDUCTION 
OR DEVELOPMENT, SAYS LOCAL PUNDIT 
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2. IN A JANUARY 19 EDITION OF LOCAL DAILY DE WARE TIJD, NICO 
WAAGMEESTER, A MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATIVE EMPLOYERS' UNION 
(VSB), PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL CRITICAL OF THE FREE TRADE OF 
AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA) NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS AND ITS 
"VISION."  EXTENSIVELY CITING SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE 
CARICOM BYRON BLAKE AT THE NOVEMBER 8-10, 2003, CARIBBEAN 
CENTRAL AMERICAN ACTION (CCAA) HELD IN MIAMI, WAAGMEESTER 
PAINTED THE FTAA NEGOTIATION'S PROCESS AS ONE THAT HAD BEEN 
    HIJACKED FROM ITS 1993 VISION FOCUSED ON PARTNERSHIP FOR 
DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY, FREE TRADE, AND ENVIRONMENT TO ONE 
THAT FOCUSED ON COOPERATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF A FEW 
COUNTRIES.  THE 2003 VISION, HE SAID, HAS BECOME A UNION IN 
WHICH RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ARE BASED ON THE INTERESTS OF 
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES, MARKET ACCESS, AND MONEY 
LAUNDERING.  THE FINAL AGREEMENT, WAAGMEESTER WROTE, WILL BE 
FORGED DESPITE THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES TO 
NEGOTIATE ON AN EVEN FOOTING WITH LARGER COUNTRIES AND 
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER MEMBER STATES CAN FULFILL ITS 
OBLIGATIONS.  WITH SMALL ECONOMIES, LIKE SURINAME'S, NOT 
READY TO OPEN THEIR MARKETS TO STIFF FOREIGN COMPETITION, 
FTAA'S WINNERS WILL BE BIG ECONOMIES, WAAGMEESTER CONCLUDED, 
AT THE EXPENSE OF SMALL, UNDERDEVELOPED ECONOMIES. 
 
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COMMENT 
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3. IN HIS NOVEMBER 25, 2003, INDEPENDENCE-DAY SPEECH, 
PRESIDENT RONALD VENETIAAN PRONOUNCED HIS SUPPORT FOR FTAA 
AND CALLED ON SURINAMERS TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES 
PRESENTED BY FTAA AND THE CARIBBEAN SINGLE MARKET ECONOMY 
(CSME).  LOCAL PUNDITS LIKE WAAGMEESTER, HOWEVER, CONTINUE 
TO GET GREAT PRESS COVERAGE FOR ANTI-FTAA RHETORIC, 
REFLECTING THE GENERAL ANXIETY AMONG SURINAMERS OVER HOW 
THEY WILL FARE WHEN FTAA IS IMPLEMENTED.  (SEE REFTEL.) 
SURINAMERS CONTINUE TO EXPRESS THE FEAR THAT SURINAMESE 
BUSINESSES WILL BE WIPED OUT BY AGGRESSIVE FOREIGN 
COMPETITION -- AND FOR GOOD REASONS.  MANY SURINAMESE 
BUSINESSES LACK BASIC SKILLS TO COMPETE GLOBALLY, SUCH AS 
    MARKETING SAVVY, MANAGERIAL SKILLS, OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.  AS LONG AS SURINAMERS SEE 
LITTLE GAIN FROM FTAA, WAAGMEESTER'S VIEW WILL PERSIST THAT 
FTAA'S WINNERS WILL BE LARGE ECONOMIES AT THE EXPENSE OF 
SMALL ECONOMIES.  END COMMENT. 
 
BARNES 
 
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            2004PARAMA00126 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
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