Why does the Caribbean have two candidates for Commonwealth Secretary General?
This is the second of a two-part series. Part One was published on Sunday, May 15.
Thankfully, with the significant abatement of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Commonwealth heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is scheduled to be held in kigali in the week of June 20, 2022, when a decision is to be made, inter alia, about the appointment of a Secretary General for 2022-2026. So, who are the current candidates seeking office as Secretary General of the Commonwealth for the ensuing four-year term of office? and do we know how their bids are being perceived by member states?
Of course, there is the incumbent, Baroness Scotland, who has been nominated by the Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit for appointment for a second term of office, commencing in 2022. Her narrative in recent weeks, however, suggests a misunderstanding of the fact that she was granted an extended tenure, which is not unusual during a transition period, albeit usually for a short period.
By her own very recent account, the Baroness deems herself to be in the midst of a second term and is intent, therefore, on completing an eight-year tenure (two terms) by virtue of tradition (not decision). She has, in fact, advised that there is “no vacancy”. Evidently, she does not see herself as a candidate per se but as an incumbent entitled to remain in office. We can conclude, therefore, that she is asserting that there is no opening to create a challenge by another candidate. But there is a fundamental question: On what basis would she consider herself to be in a second term of office which was never approved, and more so, specifically rejected by Commonwealth heads?
The conflicting information as to whether the baroness is seeking a full term of four years or whether she is seeking a further extension for a period of approximately two additional years requires full clarification. In the interim, social media and Commonwealth Secretariat reports indicate that Baroness Scotland has been visiting several capitals in recent weeks. It is only reasonable to assume that she will be seeking support for retention of her leadership role. We are not privy at this time to how those overtures are resonating.
Secondly, we have the candidate from Tuvalu, Sir Iakoba Iateli, a former governor general, who demitted office to run in that country’s general election, but was unsuccessful. To be fair, it would not be appropriate to say much more here about a candidate with whom we are much less familiar and in view of our focus on the Caribbean bids.
And finally, there is Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade who has been put forward by the Government of Jamaica. Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness introduced her as being eminently qualified and experienced, expressing confidence in her capacity to lead the Commonwealth and to build bridges.
Notably, she is seeking only a single term of four years in office. Media as well as reports from several capitals indicate that the launch of her candidature in London in the presence of the board of governors, comprising the high commissioners to the
Commonwealth, was very well received, even as some questions were raised about the dual Caricom candidature. However, we established that raison d’être’ earlier.
Briefly said, Jamaica exercised its right to offer to serve in a capacity in which it believes it can add greater value to Commonwealth pursuits. In the words of the candidate at the launch, she is “fully dedicated to drive more purposeful and visionary action to promote and protect the principles and values of our Commonwealth family…and to lead and manage transparently and efficiently the responsibilities entrusted to the Commonwealth Secretariat, working within an effective results-based management framework”.
Commonwealth heads have
The views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of the Jamaica Observer. not met in the four years since the Summit in London in 2018. Our citizens, including those in the Caribbean region, are looking on, in expectation. The stakes, therefore, are high and the next Secretary General will most certainly be held to account throughout the upcoming four-year term of office.
Undoubtedly, there is a great deal of work to be done in that period and questions have been raised as to whether, against the background of an already tarnished record, the incumbent could achieve the desired outcomes in less than the two years that she seems to be seeking. The Tuvaluan candidate is not known, by his own admission, so it is difficult to have an in-depth understanding of his Commonwealth agenda.
Can the Jamaican candidate honour her commitments in the four years that she is seeking? Let’s keenly watch the regional and wider Commonwealth space as the final decision in Kigali will ultimately impact our personal space.
And finally, there is Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade who has been put forward by the Government of Jamaica. Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness introduced her as being eminently qualified and experienced, expressing confidence in her capacity to lead the Commonwealth and to build bridges
Professor lloyd George Waller is the executive director of Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.