A sub-committee of CARICOM Heads is to meet with the two regional nominees for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General (SG) amid another embarrassing division in the community over foreign policy.
CARICOM Heads yesterday met in caucus virtually after Jamaica last Friday sparked controversy when it nominated its Foreign Minister, Kamina Johnson-Brown for the post of SG when the community had previously expressed support for the re-election of the incumbent, Dominica-born Baroness Patricia Scotland.
In a bid to settle the matter, a meeting of Heads was convened yesterday.
A statement from the caucus said that Heads reaffirmed the “obligation of Member States to coordinate foreign policy as outlined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas”.
They noted the upcoming election at the June 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda and reaffirmed the turn of the Caribbean for a second term in accordance with Common-wealth traditions.
The Heads noted that two Member States of the Community had nominated two “eminently qualified candidates” for the post of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and agreed that a Sub-Committee of Heads of Government comprising The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica will meet with the two candidates, Scotland, QC and Senator Johnson-Smith.
CARICOM has frequently been divided on the question of foreign policy but there had been the belief following the March 1-2 meeting of Heads of Agreement that there was unanimous support for the re-election of Scotland. The communique issued from that meeting on March 3rd stated
“Heads of Government expressed their overwhelming support for the re-election of Baroness Patricia Scotland as Secretary-General of The Common-wealth”.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness was present at the meeting.
Scotland was elected Commonwealth SG in 2015 following a bruising two-year battle which saw her pitted against Antigua’s nominee, Guyana-born Sir Ron Sanders. That contest deeply divided CARICOM. While she was nominated by her home country Dominica, critics saw her as the UK’s nominee as she is a peer and held a senior Cabinet position in the British government.
Sanders’ nomination attracted support from the majority of CARICOM countries but Dominica held steadfastly to its nominee and was reportedly supported by Barbados and Belize. Guyana eventually announced its support for Sanders.
In June 2020 Scotland had her four-year term extended due to the coronavirus pandemic but failed in her effort to have it renewed amid a drive by some influential Commonwealth countries to have her replaced.
Georgetown will likely press for Scotland to be the candidate in consideration of the strong line that she and the Commonwealth took in pressing for the upholding of free and fair elections in March 2020 and acceptance of the recount results. The Commonwealth had fielded an observer team famously led by the now late former Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur.
A Commonwealth expert, Kwadwo Afari-Gyan of Ghana was also seconded here to provide advice to the Guyana Elections Commission.
