CHOGM to re-elect Patricia Scotland as Secretary-General, says survey

Rwanda: Recent survey reports revealed that Patricia Scotland is retaining her seat as the Commonwealth Secretary-General because her popularity among member states. The survey findings are based on detailed research carried out within the entire 54 Commonwealth countries that elect the Secretary-General for a term of "four years".

The reports showed that Kamina Johnson Smith - Jamaica's Candidate for Commonwealth General Secretary, has been visiting several Commonwealth countries; however, she still did not manage to catch the support of many countries.

The surveys also reflected that Scotland's bid for reappointment for a second term for another four years is collectively endorsed.

The Secretary-General is appointed by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a max of two terms that comprises four years each.

Scotland had assumed office in 2016, and the elections were postponed due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and now her second term will be completed in 2024. Notably, she is also the first woman to hold the position and became a true breakthrough for gender equality in the Commonwealth after taking office.

Reportedly, the decision on the appointment of a Secretary-General is to be made during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, to take place from 20th to 25th June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The appointment has become a huge matter of discussion and created a debate between the two candidates and their countries. The announcement of Jamaica's candidature of Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, for the top post became the initiation point of the debate. The debate has further accelerated with Scotland's statement of "there is no vacancy" while asking Kamina Smith to end her bid for the position. However, she has rejected a call from Scotland to withdraw her candidature. CARICOM leaders also remain divided in their support for the two candidates.

Scotland said, "I would be incredibly happy, 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."

Patricia Scotland has been in Rwanda since April 2 to endorse herself for re-election. During her visit, she attended various conferences, including - the 12th Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa. The conference was held in Kigali from May 3-6 and analyzed the progress made in preparation for CHOGM 2022.

In her interview with The New Times in Kigali, Scotland exclaimed that she is getting a positive response on a daily basis, and more than half of the countries are responding in favour of her.

Speaking about the meeting which will decide her fate, Scotland said she is quite excited and delighted, as she hopes the result will be on her side.

The leadership of Scotland has gathered a lot of appreciation worldwide, and the entire Caribbean region felt proud of the appointment of the first lady as a Secretary-General. Her supervision over the years helped the Commonwealth to enhance its various skills significantly.

Moreover, according to the reports by experts, Scotland is a perfect candidate for the position of Secretary-General, noting that she remains committed to her work.

Scotland also expressed that the Rwanda meeting would come out as a huge moment for the Commonwealth. However, the meeting is currently happening at Kigali, Rwanda from 20th to 25th June 2022, but due to the two years of hiatus of COVID-19, the hosting of the meeting witnessed a postponement.