Kamina Johnson-Smith Nominated For Secretary General Of The Commonwealth

April 14, 2022April 18, 2022 News Room

April 14, 2022 | By Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

PM Andrew Michael Holness speaking in Parliament inter alia:

“Baroness Scotland would not get the support of UK, Canada, and Kenya to name a few. So we took a sovereign decision … we are aware that Johnson-Smith is committed to the commonwealth”

So stated the PM on Tuesday the 12th April 2022 as he addressed Parliament.

Kenya’s Candidate

Kenya’s Zuma, their mining minister, the candidate from Kenya has withdrawn from the race. Jamaica has since put up a candidate in Kamina Johnson-Smith in Jamaica’s Foreign Trade Minister. She happens to be an attorney-at- law. The incumbent Scotland, is a former attorney general.

Opposition Leader

Photo Caption:. The candidate for Secretary General Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith is flanked by security and an unknown person as she left the Joint Sitting of Parliament to honour the State Visit of the Rowandan President His Excellency Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda. April 14, 2022.

Opposition Leader Hon Mark Golding reacting to the PM Andrew Michael Holness’ confirmation of Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith candidature for the position of Secretary General of the 54 nation Commonwealth and 2.3 billion persons.

“She is qualified for the job of Secretary General. Jamaica has strayed from this course, on for example, with the Venezuela issue. The way we handled certain regional issues have damaged unity and is messy.”

So stated Hon. Mark Golding Opposition Leader who said inter alia:

“Jamaica supported that decision overwhelmingly. This decision was recorded in the communique of the recently held Belize meeting of regional leaders that Jamaica attended.”

Concluded Mark Golding as he addressed Parliament Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in response to PM Andrew Holness comments.

The Caribbean has 15 votes. What about T&T, India, Gaston Brown, Gonzalez, Grenada, Belize is chair of Caricom. The media is being reminded that it fuelled the Rwandan conflict.

The grouping of countries calling itself the Commonwealth. The grouping consist of 2.3 billion people and 54 nations mainly former British colonies. The membership is open to non Commonwealth countries. In fact some have joined the grouping who were not former commonwealth entities.

African Countries

Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, seem on board to support Kamina Johnson-Smith.

There are 34 small states which are a part of the Commonwealth grouping.

It is a relic and we are moving away. Benefits consist of a flow of resources from the developed to the developing states. The Queen heads the Commonwealth. Seron Sand was Antiguan candidate who no longer is the race.

Baroness Scotland is Dominican who is of British lineage The criticism comes from the British. She is a Liberal Peer. She was not fully supported from day one. In Parliament PM Holness has formally stated that Jamaica will put up Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith as a candidate to the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. The P.M. told Jamaica’s Parliament to much fanfare and bench stamping.

Kamina Johnson-Smith, the Candidate was specially invited and was present in parliament to hear the debates.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie was in court and filed this report. He is a poet, elegist, author and senior international journalist who writes for Vision newspaper.