Rwanda: According to recent survey results, Patricia Scotland is keeping her job as the secretary-general of the Commonwealth because of her standing with the member nations. The survey results are based on thorough investigation done across all 54 Commonwealth nations that choose the Secretary General for a “four-year” term.
According to sources, Kamina Johnson Smith, the Jamaican candidate for Commonwealth General Secretary, has travelled to a number of Commonwealth nations, but she hasn’t yet been able to win over many of them.
The surveys also showed that Scotland’s request for a second appointment for a further period of four years has garnered widespread support.
The Secretary-General is chosen by Commonwealth leaders and is only permitted to hold office for a maximum of two terms of four years each.
Scotland took office in 2016, but the elections weren’t held until 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s difficulties. As a result, her second term will now end in 2024. She made a major breakthrough for gender equality in the Commonwealth after gaining office and is notable for being the first woman to hold the role.
According to reports, the choice of a Secretary-General will be made during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 20–25, 2022.
The appointment has generated a lot of debate between the two contenders and their respective nations. The discussion was launched when Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, announced her candidacy for the top position.
Scotland’s claim that “there is no vacancy” has sped up the discussion while also requesting that Kamina Smith withdraw her application. She has, however, declined Scotland’s request that she renounce her candidacy. Leaders of CARICOM continue to support the two candidates in different ways.
QC Scotland stated, “As you can understand, I would be overjoyed if Senator Kamina Johnson [Smith] changed her mind and decided that perhaps this wasn’t the right moment to run for this position. I’ve completed six of the eight years of my mandate. Africa believes that in 2024, when my second term ends, they will have the chance to nominate an African secretary-general.”
Since April 2, Patricia Scotland has been in Rwanda to declare her candidacy for re-election. The 12th Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa was one among the conferences she attended while there. The conference, which examined the development in CHOGM 2022 preparedness, took place in Kigali from May 3 to 6.
Scotland said in an interview with The New Times in Kigali that she receives support from more than half of the world’s nations and that she receives nice feedback every day.
Scotland expressed her excitement and joy about the meeting that will determine her fate, expressing her optimism that the outcome will be in her favour.
The first lady’s appointment as Secretary-General caused the entire Caribbean area to beam with pride, and Scotland’s leadership has won widespread acclaim. The Commonwealth’s diverse skills have substantially improved under her direction throughout the years.
Additionally, experts’ evaluations state that Scotland is the ideal contender for the job of Secretary General due to her continued dedication to her profession.
Scotland predicted that the gathering in Rwanda would be a turning point for the Commonwealth. However, the meeting had been slated for June 2020, however due to COVID-19’s two-year pause, the hosting of the meeting had to be postponed.
