Prime Minister Andrew Holness, we see, has given some amount of explanation for Jamaica putting forward Senator Kamina Johnson Smith as a candidate for the job of Commonwealth secretary general.

According to Mr Holness, several countries, including Jamaica, had been approached regarding a nominee for the position, and it was clear that there is an impetus for an alternative candidate to the incumbent Baroness Patricia Scotland.

“The first term of the incumbent has left room for challenge… there has been a strong and persistent perspective that an alternative candidate should enter. Jamaica took a sovereign decision in examining the support that exists and in examining the future and state of affairs of The Commonwealth,” the prime minister said in Parliament last week.

It is obvious that Mr Holness chose his words carefully, as he apparently has more information than the wider public. However, he has not given us any reason to reconsider our question regarding the timing of the announcement of Senator Johnson Smith’s candidacy. The absence of that, we maintain, will continue to breed speculation, even as many people, this newspaper included, have little doubt about Mrs Johnson Smith’s qualification and ability to effectively serve as Commonwealth secretary general.

Indeed, as we have stated before, we have a lot of time for this very bright Jamaican woman who has been a steady hand in managing Jamaica’s foreign affairs and foreign trade relations.

Mr Holness has told us that with “very limited exception”, the responses to Jamaica’s candidacy from Caricom heads of government and foreign ministers have been extremely encouraging, with several of them voluntarily committing to seek support for the candidature from their regional colleagues.

We take him at his word and would not be surprised by such a development, because so far only two Caricom prime ministers — Messrs Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda and Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica — have openly expressed opposition to Jamaica’s decision to put forward a candidate.

Ironically, in Prime Minister Skerrit’s case, this must be déjà vu, because in the run-up to the 2015 vote for Commonwealth secretary general he had nominated Baroness Scotland despite Antigua and Barbuda’s nomination of Sir Ronald Sanders. At the time, as well, Trinidad and Tobago had supported former academic and government minister Bhoe Tewari for the post. That, we recall, created a rift in Caricom, as Sir Ronald had the support of at least nine Caricom states.

Readers will remember that Sir Ronald eventually withdrew from the race to the chagrin of Prime Minister Browne.

Since then, Baroness Scotland has held the post, having been duly elected by Commonwealth heads of government at their conference in Malta. However, there is no rule that Commonwealth secretaries general have a divine right to a second term. Therefore, if, as Prime Minister Holness put it, “the first term of the incumbent has left room for challenge”, we see no reason for any member state wishing to put forward a candidate to avoid doing so.

Yes, it is messy, but it appears to us that there is a move afoot to recover some lost ground as The Commonwealth has, since the departure of the outstanding Sir Shridath Ramphal, diminished in influence and stature.