Dear Editor,

I refer to your Observer editorial of Sunday, April 17, 2016, titled ‘Make haste slowly in removing our diplomats’.

The editorial, which essentially is the opinion of the newspaper, suggested that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government should consider delaying the replacement of our top diplomats, in particular those assigned to the United States, the United Kingdom and China, all of whom voluntarily tendered their resignations upon the change of Government according to international best practice.

According to the Sunday Observer, as those postings are particularly of critical importance to Jamaica, the Government should not be readily inclined to ensure that it has in place in those countries diplomats in whom it has the greatest confidence to execute the foreign policy agenda of the new Government on behalf of Jamaica.

The editorial went on to suggest that, especially because at least two of the diplomats in question were only recently appointed by the previous People’s National Party (PNP) Government, they had only recently reorganised their lives and the lives of their families to take up those posts and will also need to seek new employment if they are not already employed in the foreign service.

It is the international practice for newly elected governments to constitute and appoint the heads of their diplomatic missions. As it was under the PNP, four years ago, and with all our political administrations prior, so it is for the JLP Government today.

Where was this call or empathy from the

Observer four years ago when, upon the change of Government, the PNP replaced all the diplomatic heads in the those countries theObserver described as of critical importance to Jamaica?

Was Ambassador Audrey Marks a known activist of the JLP when she was replaced as Jamaica’s ambassador to Washington when the PNP assumed the reins of government in 2012? So why make the issue of Fay Pickersgill, not being a PNP activist, a reason for the JLP Government to reappoint or continue with her as our ambassador to China?

It is unfortunate that Pickersgill has spent approximately six months in China, as she was only appointed a few months before the PNP called the general parliamentary elections. By her accepting the posting at such a time, however, she should have appreciated that there was no guarantee the PNP would be returned to office after the elections, however cocksure some were inclined to believe.

A new Government could always retain any such appointee of the previous political administration, but it is simply the prerogative of the new Government so to do. Recall, for instance, the JLP Administration of 2007 retained Ambassador Burchell Whiteman, who served formerly as a PNP minister of government, member of parliament, senator and party general secretary, as Jamaica’s High Commissioner to London for a few years into the JLP’s term.

In light of the foregoing, the editorial appeared to have been furthering the agenda of the PNP or, despite the assertion to the contrary, there is some brief held for all or some of the affected diplomats in the countries of critical importance mentioned above.

Kevin KO Sangster

Attorney-at-law

sangstek@msn.com