BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE recent departure of a three-member delegation to Dubai has engendered public debates and comments on radio talk shows and the streets of the Federation, especially since Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Sam T. Condor claims not to have been consulted in its departure.
In recent times, news surfaced that a Dubai-based developer, Range Hospitality, is planning on expanding its operations in the Middle East and St. Kitts and Nevis with projects that would exceed US$1B over the next three to four years.
And it is believed that the three-member delegation, which comprised Elvis Newton, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Astona Browne, PS in the Office of the Prime Minister; and Alex Woodley, Consul General-designate; had travelled to Dubai to finalise administrative arrangements in the establishing of a consulate in that country.
WINN FM 98.9 broke the news on Thursday (Mar. 15). And during that radio station’s call-in programme ‘Voices’, the host, Ian ‘Patches Liburd’, spoke with Minister Condor who said he knew nothing of the delegation’s arrangements.
WINN FM’s Clive Bacchus contacted the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, Erasmus Williams, on Thursday afternoon to enquire if Prime Minister Douglas was a member of that delegation.
Williams answered in the negative and explained the PM had a very busy schedule which included a courtesy call from the outgoing Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, His Lordship Justice Hugh Rawlins, the meeting with an IMF delegation and Runako Morton’s Funeral Service on Nevis.
Asked to comment on the talk of establishing an embassy in Dubai, Williams said, “The Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, a few years ago, announced that it had been looking at establishing relationship with a number of Caribbean as well as world nations, and, as you are aware, one of those countries was Dubai. The PM has visited Dubai and I understand that since 2005 steps are been taken to ensure that there is a presence of St. Kitts and Nevis in Dubai.
In response to who would be designated Ambassador or Consul General to that country, Williams said, “Not to my knowledge, but this is a matter which I believe information would best be had from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Also in response to Bacchus’ question “Why Dubai?” Williams explained that the government has been looking at establishing relations with friendly nations around the world.
“We have done so with countries in Africa, we have done so with countries in the Middle East, we have done so with countries in Europe…in the former Eastern Europe and around the world. It is only practical that as we continue to flex our influence on both the regional and international scene that we have a presence in some of the more developed countries. And also it is one of the ways of attracting new foreign direct investment,” the Press Secretary added.
On the following day and during the Voices programme, Liburd again contacted Minister Condor, who maintained his stance on the delegation’s visit to Dubai.
Asked if he knew that the delegation’s trip to Dubai was to finalise administrative arrangements for a consulate and who would be appointed to run that entity, what he knew about such appointment and if so, when was it made known to him.
Minister Condor said, “I want to thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to clarify this issue, as I believe, and I am sure the country believes, that this is an important national issue, and therefore I’ll like to be able to clarify for the general public…for the country, any difficulties we may have in terms of this issue.
“I said there was no official…I know that there was discussion about it in the public but there was no official information given to me about that. Just before I go to the question, let me just again clarify. You asked me whether I knew of a setting up of a consulate in Dubai, and let me just say to you that once I heard it I enquired of my Permanent Secretary whether there was any discussion in the Ministry about that. He said to me that was about late January or early February and I asked him to research it for me. He never got back to me on that matter.
So, when I heard it, unofficially, I enquired of my Permanent Secretary whether there was any discussion in the ministry about it, he was unaware and he promised that he would research it for me, and he never got back to me to give me a definite answer about that.
“But coming to your specific question, yes I am aware that there is a delegation that left St. Kitts. A two-man delegation left St. Kitts on the 14th, that is Wednesday I think, the 14th of this month. I know that by of way a memo I received from my Permanent Secretary on the 13th, the day before the delegation was to travel. The memo was dated the 12th, the day before I got it. And I was informed that a delegation comprising my Permanent Secretary and Mrs. Astona Browne, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, along with Consul General-designate Ms. KA Woodley will be travelling to Dubai to establish the office. That is the first time I had any official communication about the appointment of the Consul General from my Permanent Secretary or from anybody, for that matter. And I want to say to you, Patches, I know that people are saying well they don’t believe, but it is nothing to do with belief, it is to do with the truth. That is the absolute truth…nothing but the truth so help me God. And I will never ever lie to the people of my country. When it becomes necessary for me to lie, it is time for me to go. And that is the absolute truth, that is the chronology, that is the sequence of which things happen.”
In his response to the procedure for a permanent secretary travelling to another country, Minister Condor explained: “The procedure is that you must get permission from your minister to travel. But like I said, the memo from my Permanent Secretary was a matter of information that he was travelling as part of a three-man delegation appointed by the Prime Minister to travel to Dubai.”
He confirmed that every minister in a democracy has the constitutional authority to supervise and control his/her ministry, but in this particular case “I would say that is an aberration from the normal protocol and procedures”.
The Deputy PM also confirmed that Woodley is an employee of his Ministry.
“…She is an employee in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is employed in the Mission in New York. She has been employed there for sometime as the Senior Administrative Officer, I think. I can’t be sure so don’t quote me on that. I am not sure I have the correct designation, but she is a Senior Officer in the Ministry of foreign Affairs.”
He noted that it would be a promotion for Woodley should be appointed as head of the Dubai Embassy/Consulate.
Minister Condor also explained part of his responsibilities as the Foreign Affairs Minister and noted under whose purview the appointing of Ambassadors and Diplomats fall.
“Let me just add that for public knowledge and for public information that the appointment of Ambassadors or Diplomats is under the purview of the Prime Minister…it is done in collaboration and discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But in this case nothing was discussed with me, but it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to appoint Diplomatic Officers.”
This new development begs to ask the question – “Is Minister Condor being ostracised, taking into consideration that less than a year ago he had a problem with his then Permanent Secretary Astona Browne and was unaware that Prime Minister Douglas had planned to disband the Ministry of National Security and take command of the Police and Defence Forces?”
