The challenge facing our woman in London

Sunday, February 05, 2012

The post of high commissioner to the United Kingdom is reserved for retired politicians. Sometimes this produces successes such as Mr Derrick Heaven or Mr Burchell Whiteman. At other times, nothing to write home about.

It all started when late People's National Party Prime Minister Michael Manley retired Messrs Earnest Peart and Wills O Isaacs (to Canada) from his Cabinet. Mr P J Patterson took it to another level with former House Speaker Carl Marshall (Nigeria and Canada) and Mr Seymour 'Foggy' Mullings to Washington, DC.

The Jamaica Labour Party had Ambassador Anthony Johnson (twice) and Mr Clifton Stone. The tradition lives on with the appointment of Mrs Aloun N'Dombet-Assamba under Mrs Portia Simpson Miller.

The verdict is out on the suitability of the persons chosen. However, we think it is inappropriate to dispatch our envoys on the basis of politics. The British Government is not flattered by a political appointee as high commissioner because London knows that retired politicians may have access to the political leadership but they do not have influence, or they would be in the Cabinet.

The rationale for a retired politician is that it is a posting where the main purpose of the high commissioner is to tend to the Jamaican community by attending church services and domino tournaments. All that was necessary was to trot out platitudes and proclaim how much Jamaica values the diaspora and returning residents.

London should be treated with respect and not like a rural constituency. It is one of the capitals of the world, a complex cultural milieu and a sophisticated financial centre with global reach.

Modern-day Britain has declined as a world power but is still the door that we knock on when we have problems with Europe because we have never bothered to cultivate substantial relations with any country in Europe. Brussels is an entry level post for first appointment as ambassador and the embassy in Germany is there to prevent Berlin from closing their Kingston office. Travel budgets are such that our ambassador in Geneva only visits the other countries to which he/she is accredited, eg Italy, once to present credentials.

The "Jamaican" community in Britain is no longer homogenous and dominated by people who migrated in the 1950s and 1960s and who are yearning to hear Miss Lou's dialect poetry. They are mostly young people of Jamaican heritage who have multicultural identities and varied interests and for whom Jamaica is an "imagine community".

Today, they listen to dancehall but also tune in on their iPhones to poet Dean Atta (of Jamaican/Greek parentage), author of I Am Nobody's Nigger written for the lamented murder victim Stephen Lawrence.

London presents three arenas of foreign policy. First, there is the UK where there are complex policy issues, eg travel tax and drug trafficking. The charm that gains a person promotion in Jamaica is not enough for navigating the intricacies of British politics at a time when interest in the Caribbean continues to wane.

Second, the high commissioner is accredited to Scandinavia, The Netherlands and Spain which is not a travel opportunity but has economic potential. It was High Commissioner Heaven whose diplomacy "rolled the wicket" for the Spanish hotel investments.

Third, London is where a lot of relations with Commonwealth countries benefit from the face-to-face that travel budgets do not permit.

We are sure Mrs N'Dombet-Assamba will be awake to all of these issues and possibilities.

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COMMENTS (7)

4/25/2012

The people of Jamaica are livnog people. You treat them with respect and you will get the same in return. Do a dinner (or lunch), at the Ruins Restaurant, which has waterfalls all it's own, and some say that the name, Ocho Rios, does not mean Eight Rivers at all, but that it is a hybrid of the falls at the Ruins, known as Las Chorreras. Enjoy your trip!

Clare Forrester
2/8/2012

Is this column meant to criticise the appointment of Mrs N'Dombet-Assamba? This is indeed regrettable. Mrs Assamba has served in several capacities in the public sphere and done an exemplary job on each occasion. In my view, her background qualifies her as much as , if not more than our soon to depart Ambassador to Washington. I can't recall this type of commentary that followed Mrs Marks appointment.

Un Poco Loco
2/5/2012

And furthermore, Brussels serves The Netherlands and not London, like the Editor stated. The Editor needs to do some research before starting the rambling. What does playing domino has to do with representing Jamaica as an ambassador. An ambassador is an important official who lives in a foreign country and represents his or her own country's interests there. You see, Mr Editor. The Ambassador's job is not to play domino. Don't you see people getting shot at domino table. Wat u saying?

OneLove OneLove
2/5/2012

It is obvious that the editor had been misinformed as it relates to the role of the Jamaican Foreign Service. London is one of the most important cities next to Washingon, and appointing Mrs. Assamba would serve to further strengthen our relations with the UK. Also, Brussels is NOT an entry level for Ambassadorial appointments as Jamaica has had several experienced envoys posted to Brussels, and who have had prior Ambassadorial appointments, so please , get your facts correct !!!

wanda woeman
2/5/2012

Do I detect this editorial having a sexist ring to it? I can't recall this advice being given to our man in Washington when he was tipped for the job. Is the Observer suggesting that his challenges might not be as many? Or is it because he has never been identified with the PNP? I remind the Observer that Mrs. A is also a lawyer and is not a retired politician.
Maybe the sticking point for them is that she was once a minister in a PNP administration since all of a sudden it has become unfashionable for administrations to appoint people of their choice to sensitive positions.

ghost rider
2/5/2012

The editor tries to get into the mind of how the British thinks and has failed miserably. Mrs. Assamba is a trained lawyer and anyone knowing her knows she has a highly analytic mind, is very knowledgeable about geo-political matters and is very personable, as was Whiteman or even the incumbent Johnson and many others before them. In any case we don’t tell them who to appoint, so why should they tell us?
To suggest that this is just a payback by the party is very unfair and another case for the present administration to retain JLP appointees in sensitive offices. We didn’t hear these arguments prior to this.

Paul Gentles
2/5/2012

Until we recognise these roles for what they are: the opportunity to make the world a global village, to draw countries closer to facilitate trade and the exchange of ideas. Using anyone in this portfolio who is bereft of the nous to maximise to the nations benefit commercial and intellectual exchanges is an opportunity wasted. We cant survive let alone get ahead merely by putting "bums on seats".

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The challenge facing our woman in London