The delayed confirmation of Dr. Elliston Rahming as Bahamas ambassador to the United States is unusual, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette said.
Symonette said the government’s silence on the issue is unacceptable.
At his office on East Bay Street, he said the delay could be an embarrassment for The Bahamas. “The United States must be, in my humble opinion, sending a message why they haven’t approved him yet and they need to tell the Bahamian people yes or no,” Symonette said. “We put our name forward, and it hasn’t been accepted.
“Usually you choose someone who you know is acceptable, and so I think The Bahamas government owes the people of The Bahamas an answer.
“I think it’s very strange, and that’s something we need to do.
“Both the minister of foreign affairs and the prime minister need to answer that question because one might pass the buck to the other and vice versa. Just come clean.
“They won on a question of transparency and consulting the people and everything else. Just tell us why.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell has said that while Rahming has not been confirmed as ambassador to the United States yet, he has not been rejected either.
Symonette, who was also deputy prime minister, said during his time in government it never took so long to appoint a Bahamas ambassador to the United States.
“I imagine the high commissioner for the UK was appointed, and that went through fairly quickly,” he said.
“Not answering is giving the answer.
“So maybe what they should do is withdraw the application and consider someone else.
“I don’t mean this in any way, [but] you have a man that is in charge of your prison system who you trust as a country with keeping criminals in jail,” Symonette said.
Rahming, the former superintendent of Her Majesty’s Prisons, assumed his duties as the country’s representative to the Organization of American States earlier this year.
He is in Washington, D.C. Mitchell had said that he would speak on the issue of diplomatic appointments until July 1.
A statement issued by the government on July 1 indicated that Prime Minister Perry Christie had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with regard to the appointments of consuls general in Miami and Atlanta.
But the ministry did not announce any names.
The statement also said a further announcement will be made shortly about changes in personnel in the diplomatic service as soon as the necessary formalities have been concluded.
It remains unclear which areas will be affected by the changes.
By: Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter