THE ORGANISASTION of American States (OAS) is scheduled

to hold its 43rd General Assembly in June when elections will take place for the posts of Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General (ASG).
Neither of the incumbents—Secretary General Miguel Insulza, a former Foreign Minister of Chile, and Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, the Suriname-born diplomat and former Assistant Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARIC0M)—is eligible to seek re-election.
It has evolved as a tradition in the long history of the hemispheric organization, headquartered in Washington, that the Latin American bloc of states, which controls the overwhelming number of votes among the 34 countries, regularly secures the post of General Secretary, while that of the number two spot, ASG, goes to a national of the Caribbean region that, at best, is assured of starting 15 votes.
Of particular significance is that both of these candidates start their campaigns for election with the secured nomination of their respective governments. That has been the pattern which has often resulted in fierce campaigning among the Latin American bloc of states to secure the support of those within the Caribbean Region, with the unofficial quid pro quo being gaining endorsement for the ASG position.
In previous years, even within CARICOM, there has been some intense campaigning to win support for the ASG’s spot when more than one candidate has signalled keen interest for endorsement. What often tips the scales in favour of a CARICOM bloc-backed candidate is the level of potential endorsement forthcoming from Latin American allies.
This political horse-trading has resulted over the years in a CARICOM national successively ending up in the number two position at the OAS.
Therefore, in the current scenario, Ramdin is, regrettably, faced with the hurdle of, first not having gained the required nod from his own home government, and also the tradition of the Latin American bloc of states securing the post of Secretary General.
That mould perhaps perpetuates a political syndrome that carries with it a mix of old colonial and ‘big power’ politics tainted as well with lingering and offensive cultural prejudices.
Perhaps the Suriname administration of President Desi Bouterse carefully assessed this situation and came to the conclusion that rather than going after defeat in nominating its citizen, Ramdin, for the post of Secretary General, it is advisable to ensure success for a candidate who could best secure required endorsement both from within CARICOM and the wider Latin America bloc.
And since Guyana has identified its current OAS ambassador Bayney Ramkarran as a candidate for the post of ASG, Suriname has settled to endorse such a move to strengthen the chance of the CARICOM bloc of countries retaining that number two spot. That’s the political reality
(Courtesy Barbados Daily Nation)