Under Fire from Major Commonwealth Nation, Baroness Scotland runs to the Cool Waters of The Caribbean?

Recall the controversy that was involved in the appointment of Patrica Scotland as the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. 

After much haggling among Caribbean Countries she was elected  at the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting as the 6th head to hold that position.She took office on 1 April 2016. Being  the first woman to hold that post as a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Dominica where she was born but left at a very young age. There is no record of  any significant connection to her homeland. She was sponsored by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit despite most of the Caribbean countries not lending their support. 

As a result before the appointment there was much pressure for  prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit to withdraw the candidacy which he refused to do.

At a meeting of Leaders of the Organization of American States OECS held in Dominica prior to the election, they made the case  that the Region needed to field only one candidate for the post. Antigua has nominated diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders for the prestigious post.

As the Dominican.net reported at that time, at the Dominica meeting, CARICOM  Chairman Dr Keith Mitchell who has publicly backed Sir Sanders noted that: “It was agreed among the heads, that given that the two possible candidates this time are OECS citizens, that the leadership of both countries involved will meet and that by the time we leave here next week we will be going to the meeting with one recommendation coming from the Caribbean region.

“We believe that is absolutely necessary. It makes no sense going there with two candidates, reducing the possibility and having ourselves eclipsed because of the lack of a unified effort around a particular candidate,” he added.

However, Dominica’s foreign affairs minister Francine Baron was less conciliatory stating “what has been decided is that the two countries from the Caribbean who have candidates will discuss the matter to see whether we can arrive at an agreement moving forward….As to whether there should be one candidate or not, and that does not mean that Dominica has agreed to withdraw its candidate, it simply means that there will be a discussion.”

The Commonwealth Heads met in Malta on November 29 to select a new Secretary General among growing concerns that the Region would have  missed an opportunity to have a Caribbean national elected if two candidates are put forward from the Region.

Up until the election the governments of Antigua, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bahamas all stood behind their support of Sir Sanders while Dominica and Barbados publicly favor Baroness Scotland.

Baroness Scotland’s tenure has been overshadowed by scandals from the offset. The allegations of corruption and cronyism have been mountainous, so much so she has been dubbed “ Baroness Shameless and Brazen in the United Kingdom. 

The Daily mail in a scathing article documented all the reasons she should not be elected for a second term in this position https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7139557/New-spat-woman-dubbed-Baroness-Shameless-bids-second-term-Commonwealth-chief.html

Some argue that this disapproval of Baroness Scotland is racially motivated, but many beg to differ pointing to her disappointing record. New Zealand, Britain and Australia have all withdrawn their funding of the Commonwealth because of the negative reports on the running of the affairs of the commonwealth. The Baroness is trouble. So she runs home to CARICOM? 

How can they possibly help her and  what will Roosevelt and the partner Barbados do to  save her? She will be attending  the inter-sessional conference of heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados as a special guest. At whose invitation? 

 Will Barbados and Dominica acknowledge the error they made, and agree that Sir Ronald Sanders would have been a better candidate? Will they still pledge their support to the damaged Baroness who has disgraced her homeland,and the Caribbean by extension? Will the Baroness survive that Commonwealth firestorm that rages around her? Make some time to enjoy the cool waters of the Caribbean Dear home girl Baroness, this is just what you need at this time.

While you are in the Caribbean the least you can do for Dominicans is to drop by to see how Dominicans are doing while they sousay their seil! After all, you rode on their backs to reach the skies.

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