Ambassador was not misrepresented

THE EDITOR: The woeful conduct or lack thereof of TT’s foreign policies has degenerated to such a paltry and embarrassing state of affairs under lame-duck and struggling Minister Dennis Moses that even a grass-roots workers union is more in tune with our high profile foreign policy towards beleaguered Dominica than our current accredited Head of Mission to the USA/OAS Ambassador Anthony Phillip-Spencer.

It is to be noted that nobody misrepresented Ambassador Spencer’s well stated and oft-repeated position against the waiver of OAS contributions by struggling Dominica for the current year. Even the Dominican delegate to the OAS meeting was visibly stunned beyond belief by this TT position and, with visible sadness, reluctantly asked for clarification. Ambassador Spencer is neither a “public official” nor an ordinary “public servant” according to the Ministry’s pathetic release. He never was, being a former Defence Force colonel.

TT- appointed Ambassadors are invested with the rank and diplomatic and political status of a minister of government and they always wield full powers to commit the TT government by his statements automatically. It said so in his Presidential-issued letter of appointment as Ambassador to the USA/OAS. His statement was never a suggestion Minister Moses.

He repeated that position on behalf of the TT government several times, albeit with diplomatic suaveness saying that that position was also adopted at other multi-lateral fora by his government. It was well-established TT foreign policy he affirmed. The taped-proceedings are on social media for all to see and listen to this débâcle.

The unilateral, disastrous and quite distasteful conduct of Ambassador Spencer on this very simple, pedestrian Caricom/OAS matter has brought TT’s regional image into odium, disrepute and poor standing.

Unfortunately, but quite expectedly, it is a sad reflection and consequence of the collapse of Minister Moses’ failed tenure at the helm of the Foreign Ministry as well as the serial incompetence and ineptitude of the Rowley administration that selected all these known failures to oversee these delicate and postings overseas.

STEPHEN KANGAL, Caroni