BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A press release from the Communications Unit of the Prime Minister (CUOPM), dated December 16, 2010, stated that the appointment of His Excellency Ambassador Izben C. Williams as St. Kitts and Nevis Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) has ended after an uninterrupted tenure of nearly 10 years.
The release noted that during the regular session of the Permanent Council, the Secretary-General of the OAS, His Excellency Jose Miguel Insula stated that Williams would be remembered for having “always advocated for the security of the nations in the Caribbean”.
Insula also stated that because of Williams’ intellect, he had influence in controversial issues before the Council.
Another person high in praise of Williams was the President of the Permanent Council and representative of El Salvador, His Excellency Ambassador Joaquin Maza, who emphasised that Williams has always been “a great defender of democracy and peace in our hemisphere”.
The release informed that Williams had thanked the St. Kitts-Nevis government for the privilege of representing the Federation in the OAS, and he praised the “equitable manner” and the “mutual respect” that to his judgment presided over debates at the Permanent Council during period, adding that this “denotes the maturity of this inter-American body”.
Many representatives of various countries in that organisation were also in high praise of Williams’ ability, especially, as noted by the Permanent Observer of France, to find consensus “in the most complicated moments, always with his trademark discretion”.
Today, however, Williams is no longer the Federation’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, and the question on many citizens’ lips is: “Who will replace him?”
In some quarters, it is said that the government may appoint former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Jacinth Henry-Martin, who seems to be the most likely and qualified candidate for the position.
Henry-Martin had contested the 2004 General Election as the Labour Party’s candidate for Constituency Number Five and had lost to the People’s Action Movement’s Shawn Richards.
Following her defeat at the polls, Henry-Martin, who speaks French and Spanish fluently, was appointed Deputy High Commissioner to the St. Kitts and Nevis High Commission in London, England.
