The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
‘No consensus’
Johnson is co-ordinating the debate about the Commonwealth’s leadership because the UK is currently the organisation’s so-called “chair-in-office” having hosted the last leaders’ meeting in London in 2018.
In his letter to the Commonwealth’s 53 heads of government, dated 6 January, Johnson says: “A number of colleagues advocated offering the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland QC a second four-year term now.
“However, around double that number said that we should offer her a short extension of her current contract so that we can discuss, debate and decide the 2020-2024 appointment in the usual way at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“So there is no consensus to offer the current Secretary-General a second four-year term now.”
Johnson says that delaying the decision until June would not predetermine what choice the heads of government might make.
But he reveals Lady Scotland has yet to announce publicly or privately whether she intends to stand for a second term, and he also suggests for the first time that an alternative candidate could stand.
“When we meet at CHOGM, each of us will be able to support a second term for Baroness Scotland (if she is requesting one), or to support appointment of any other candidate who may come forward.”
Diplomatic sources claim Lady Scotland has been campaigning unofficially for re-election for some time. Earlier this week she paid a four-day visit to Eswatini, one of the Commonwealth’s smallest members, formerly known as Swaziland.
Last month she spent five days in India, one of the Commonwealth’s largest member states.
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