The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This is a continuation of a previous letter on Fred Mitchell’s Baroness twisting in the Wind.

A recently-released 48-page review of a host of multilateral development agencies, the Commonwealth Secretary was rated near the bottom in terms of its organisational strength and being in synch with Britain’s development objectives. It’s a safe bet the Brits were being charitable when they rated the Secretariat “adequate” instead of “weak”, and maybe only because it is a creature of their own making.

It is nothing short of shameful that the first time the Secretariat is put in British hands all hell breaks loose. Never mind Fred’s protestation that she is also Dominican by birth and Antiguan by descent. She’s Caribbean when she wins and British when she messes up.

The drip-drip of information continues. The Baroness is said to have authorized $14,000 for wallpaper for the residence, and it’s being alleged that she is entitled to an education allowance for her children. She has two boys who are of age.

She is also alleged to have violated a few policies such as the ban on hiring people over 60. She hired a retired Barbados diplomat who was deputy secretary general of Caricom, Lolita Applewhaite, to be the head of her private office at the Secretariat.

Not only is Ambassador Applewhaite over 60, but she also campaigned unabashedly for the Baroness to get the job. One would have expected Secretariat staff to be neutral, or at the very least, not fresh off the campaign trail.

Applewhaite, like Fred Mitchell, should have kept her powder dry during the election because ostensibly there were three Caribbean candidates in the race. The Trinidadian never really materialised, the Antiguan bowed out after the first round of voting, and the Baroness survived a bloody battle against an African woman (a deputy secretary general, no less).

Fred helped the Baroness get 25 votes. The African got 24 votes with two ballots spoiled. Charitably I can only speculate if Perry’s ballot was one of those spoiled as time ran out with him unable to make up his mind, as is his wont.

The British are now threatening to defund the Secretariat which would be a serious blow. Remember that Fred told the House of Assembly that the Commonwealth was deteriorating and because of that the ABC countries (Australia, Britain and Canada) were withholding funds. Elect the Baroness and the funds will flow.

The opposite is now happening. Joining Britain in re-evaluating its Commonwealth funding is India, remarkable indeed when you consider that the Secretary General for the preceding eight years was a distinguished Indian diplomat.

Fred told the House last December: “Mr. Speaker, we did the right thing and no amount of ex post facto nastiness can change that fact that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas discharged his duty to the Bahamas in our best interest.”

When you catch yourself from laughing ex post facto, you have to consider whether Fred was duped or if he was as gullible as history now makes him appear.

Prime Minister May cannot afford to have any distractions going on in London right now as she prepares her country to disengage from Europe. As luck will have it Theresa May will be the next host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in the spring of 2018.

The next biennial meeting, the 25th for the Commonwealth, was set to be held in Vanuatu next year, but when a hurricane devastated the Pacific nation last year, the UK offered to host. Members quickly agreed as it virtually assured that the Queen, who has limited her long-haul travel schedule, will attend in her capacity of Head of the Commonwealth.

Theresa May doesn’t want any of the Baroness’ dark clouds raining on her parade. And so the clock is ticking on the Baroness to get her act together. May wants accountability and reform she can believe in.

If Fred’s response is a weather vane for the Baroness, then Theresa is going to be disappointed on both fronts. They have circled the wagons. The Baroness blames disgruntled employees in the Secretariat.

Fred thinks it’s sour grapes by people who had a gripe against her personally, rather than standing on the principle that she was British and therefore not a Caribbean person.

Roosevelt Skerrit came to Nassau last month as head of Caricom to survey the damage from hurricane Matthew and no doubt to lobby Perry Christie to help contain the damage from hurricane Patricia.

Recall that in Fred’s communication to the House, he wholeheartedly endorsed Baroness Scotland and pledged to work to get her the Secretary General’s job.

When you endorse someone you put your own reputation on the line. If it backfires it blows your reputation to smithereens.

Kaboom!

THE GRADUATE

Nassau,

December 7, 2016.