{"id":138438,"date":"2021-09-28T09:24:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T13:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=138438"},"modified":"2021-09-28T09:24:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T13:24:43","slug":"pm-warns-britain-that-its-attempts-to-oust-the-current-head-of-the-commonwealth-of-nations-will-divide-the-54-country-association","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-warns-britain-that-its-attempts-to-oust-the-current-head-of-the-commonwealth-of-nations-will-divide-the-54-country-association\/","title":{"rendered":"PM warns Britain that its attempts to oust the current head of the Commonwealth of Nations will divide the 54-country association"},"content":{"rendered":"
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London:\u00a0<\/strong>The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda has warned Britain that its attempts to oust the current head of the Commonwealth of Nations will divide the 54-country association.<\/p>

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Baroness Patricia Scotland, a controversial figure, wants a second and final four-year term as Commonwealth Secretary-General.<\/p>\n

Her first term has been automatically extended because\u00a0the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM, was cancelled last year<\/a>\u00a0due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>

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Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is struggling to secure a second term.<\/span><\/p>
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The Commonwealth, headed by the Queen, is a group of mostly former British empire nations that maintain economic, social development and human rights cooperation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Allies of the baroness claim Britain is launching a ham-fisted attempt to oust her by promoting rival candidates but in breach of a convention agreed between the various geographical blocs of Commonwealth countries.<\/p>

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Under the convention, it is the Caribbean\u2019s turn to have their candidate in the position for the next term, with the understanding that Africa\u2019s candidate would take the helm in the following term.<\/p>\n

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\"Baroness<\/picture><\/div>
Baroness Scotland with the Queen during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in 2018.<\/span>CREDIT:<\/span>PA<\/cite><\/p>
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However, in August, Kenya\u2019s Monica Juma declared her candidacy in a move widely seen as backed by the British government which has long targeted Patricia Scotland. Kenyan President\u00a0Uhuru Kenyatta said Juma, a former defence and foreign affairs secretary, would be a \u201cconsensus candidate.\u201d<\/a><\/p>

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Juma is currently in London on a charm offensive to rally support for her leadership bid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Last week, Britain\u2019s new Foreign Secretary Liz Truss pointedly listed Juma\u2019s candidacy as the first item of discussion during her talks with Kenya\u2019s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo.<\/p>\n

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