ANTIGUA, April 4, 2022 – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has been joined by Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, and other leaders in the region batting for the re-election of Baroness Patricia Scotland for a second consecutive term as Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Browne became the first leader in CARICOM to speak out against the Jamaican government’s move to put forward its Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Calling the move a “monumental error,” Browne warned that Jamaica’s separate nomination could divide the Caribbean, as CARICOM had already decided to support Baroness Scotland for re-election.
“Those who seek to divide and rule are encouraging Jamaica to present a candidate in opposition to the current Secretary-General, who is serving on a CARICOM rotation,” Browne told Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Friday.
In the letter obtained by CMC over the weekend, Skerrit wrote to the Commonwealth governments, urging the 54-member Commonwealth grouping to stand in solidarity with Browne and his contention that Baroness Scotland had a mandate “to reform the Commonwealth Secretariat and to advocate and to be a voice for those countries without a voice.”
Skerrit further highlighted that Baroness Scotland was well-suited to reclaim the position despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
According to Skerrit, she has “laid a solid foundation to look at solutions for countries in the future.” See complete Antigua Observer article at https://antiguaobserver.com/regional-leaders-chide-jamaica-for-its-commonwealth-secretary-general-nominee/
