Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister in Africa lobbying for Commonwealth post

Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, is now in Africa as part of her lobbying efforts to replace the incumbent Commonwealth Secretary-General, Dame Patricia Scotland.

Johnson Smith plans to visit eight African Commonwealth member states until May 14 to discuss the future of the Commonwealth.

Kamina Johnson Smith will meet with various government officials from Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana to discuss her vision for the Commonwealth.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders remain divided in their support for the two candidates, agreeing instead to appoint a sub-committee to delve further into the matter.

A three-paragraph statement issued following their deliberations on April 6 indicated that the CARICOM leaders were still divided on whether to support Scotland, who has been nominated by Dominica, or Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s nominee.

CARICOM is yet to announce when a regional sub-committee of leaders will meet with the two Caribbean candidates for the post.

Scotland was elected to the post at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in 2015 and her re-election is scheduled to take place during the June 20-25 Commonwealth summit.

The Dominica-born Scotland is the second Secretary-General from the Caribbean and the first woman to hold the post.

In a statement issued announcing the arrival of Johnson Smith over the weekend, quoted her as saying that “African nations play a central role in determining the future of our Commonwealth and ensuring its shared values extend well into the future.

“I look forward to meeting with members of our Commonwealth family in Africa, to discussing the shared aspirations we have for development and for building a Commonwealth that will deliver on these aspirations for its member states and our people.”

The Secretary-General can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each.

CMC/