The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday defended his support of the new Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland following a Tribune editorial that raised questions about the decision making process behind his support for her.

“The Tribune does not support Baroness Patricia Scotland as the new secretary general of the Commonwealth,” he said during a press conference at the Department of Immigration.

“This was a choice made by the 53 members of the Commonwealth last year. The vote took place and on the first round, Sir Ronald Saunders the Antiguan candidate, got the least votes of any of the candidates in the race.

“His own country withdrew him as a candidate and put their support behind Baroness Patricia Scotland so that the vote when it was finally taken was 26 votes in favour, 24 against and she is now the secretary general. There is nothing that I know of that has changed from then to now that makes her a less suitable candidate for office. The point of contention now is, an allegation is being made in this column.

“The Tribune refused to publish a statement by Bahamas Information Services (BIS), which indicates that notwithstanding the statements to The Tribune that the Bahamas government pledged its support to Sir Ronald, that the truth of the matter is The Bahamas reserved its position until it reached Malta.

“The implication, suggestion, that there was some form of malfeasance on my part as minister of foreign affairs is incorrect.”

Mr Mitchell was referring to a Tribune report in November that revealed that after Sir Ronald Sanders met with Prime Minister Perry Christie, he was reportedly assured by Mr Christie that he had the country’s support in the race.

BIS then published a statement suggesting that the report was false.

The statement said the government would not make a decision on who to support until a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta on November 27, 2015, when votes were taken to choose the new secretary general.