Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are likely to witness an indecent battle at the British Commonwealth Conference in Rwanda next month as Boris Johnson tries to oust Patricia Scotland as Secretary-General of the British Commonwealth.
The United Kingdom has been working behind the scenes for nearly two years to remove Lady Scotland, claiming it has not modernized the institution, and last week the prime minister publicly said he supported Scotland’s rival.
Johnson said the United Kingdom had backed Jamaica’s Foreign Secretary Kamina Johnson Smith’s candidacy for her “vast experience and support in uniting our unique family of nations and seizing the opportunities ahead.”
Supporters of Scotland argue that Johnson’s support for a candidate at a time when the United Kingdom must be a neutral controller of the electoral process is an abuse of his position and compromises the role of the United Kingdom.
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lamy criticized Johnson’s intervention, saying: “The President of the British Commonwealth must maintain neutrality and confidentiality. No President has done this in the history of the British Commonwealth. That’s obscene and divisive. “
Scotland, appointed by its Labor counterpart, is expected to retain its role if a simple majority of the 54 states of the British Commonwealth does not vote to remove it, and otherwise other candidates should be considered for the role of administering the 54-member community.
Supporters of Scotland say they are now convinced that there is no majority in support of her dismissal, and say resentment has grown from what could be seen as a divisive approach.
A British Community source said: “Against all the conventions of the British Commonwealth, the United Kingdom has spent a huge amount of time and money trying to overthrow Scotland. What they don’t seem to realize is that the rest of the British community can see what they’re doing. “
The election is due to take place at the British Community summit in Kigali between 20 and 26 June.
Regardless of the outcome, Scotland is expected to retire at the next British Community Conference in two years, when her second four-year term expires. It is normal, but not the rule, for a Secretary-General to receive a second four-year term.
Johnson’s statement in support of Johnson Smith is likely to ensure that most of the great nations of the British Commonwealth, such as Australia and Canada, come out in support of Jamaica to reassure the United Kingdom. Caribbean countries are already divided over who to support.
Scotland has done much in its service to support the island nations and will look forward to their support, as well as that of African countries, which may feel it is their continent’s turn to supply the next Secretary-General.
Johnson Smith in his campaign literature did not give a specific reason why Scotland should be abolished, but instead focused on his own considerable experience as a commercial lawyer, trade negotiator and minister.
Born in Dominica, Scotland lived and worked in the United Kingdom before becoming Attorney General in the Labor government led by Gordon Brown.
In 2021, Caricom, the 15-member Caribbean organization, took a united stand in support of Scotland’s second term as Secretary-General, although some members are known to have opposed Scotland.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown, a former Caricom chairman, described Jamaica’s surprise offer as a “monumental mistake”, but Jamaica said it had the right to make its own sovereign decisions.
Scotland’s management has been under the microscope since it was revealed that it had circumvented the usual requirement of a competitive tender by awarding a consultancy contract to a friend’s company.
Supporters of Scotland say the audits gave her a clean bill and that her decision to award the contract was in line with public procurement procedures at the time.
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