'That will never happen' - Jamaica's Kamina Johnson Smith responds to Commonwealth SG

Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, says she will not withdraw from the race for Commonwealth secretary-general. 

"That will never happen," the Senator told Television Jamaica today, responding to an urging from the incumbent Baroness Patricia Scotland who has said the Jamaican should withdraw her candidacy because "there is no vacancy". 

"I would be incredibly pleased, as you can imagine it, if Senator Kamina Johnson [Smith] thought again and felt maybe this wasn't the appropriate time to challenge ... for this post. I've done six years of my eight-year term. Africa anticipates that they will have an opportunity to put forward an African secretary-general in 2024 when I complete my second term," the Dominica-born Scotland said in a recent interview with ABSTV Antigua.

But Johnson Smith is adamant that she will remain in the race to oust  Scotland from the London-based headquarters of the 54-member Commonwealth. 

"That won't be happening ...that will not happen. That will never happen," she said at her ministry's headquarters in Kingston. 

It's been a good week for the Jamaican who picked up public endorsements from the Maldives and Singapore.

Where the CARICOM votes will go is still not very clear as the announcement of Jamaica's candidacy in April prompted claims in some quarters that Jamaica was departing from a 'consensus' in favour of retaining Scotland. 

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has described the move as a "monumental error". 

Scotland's first four-year term was due to end in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced an extension of the tenure. 

Scotland is serving on the Caribbean's rotation for secretary-general and a second term would have been custom but Scotland's leadership has been under the microscope over the award of contracts, and other governance concerns. 

Big spenders in Commonwealth such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are reportedly against continuing with Scotland in an organisation headed by Britain's Queen Elizabeth.  

An African candidate withdrew earlier this year. 

The final decision will be made at meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda in June. 

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