SPECIAL MEETING TO BE CONVENED TO ELECT NEW OECS DIRECTOR GENERAL

St. john’s, September 4- Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer says he intends convening a special caucus of the leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to discuss the appointment of a successor to outgoing OECS Director General Dr. Len Ishmael.

A government statement issued following talks between Prime Minister Spencer and Ishmael noted that applications are being considered for the post as Ishmael would be “demitting office shortly”.

“Mr. Spencer pointed out that he intended to convene a special caucus of his colleague Heads of Government in order to settle the question of who will be appointed to lead the organization,” the statement said.

‘I intend during my term as chairman to ensure a smooth transition to a new Director-General and to reinvigorate this important organization to take forward the challenge of implementing OECS Economic Union,” Prime Minister Spencer said.

Ishmael, who has been at the post for a decade, in June described her tenure as “this journey of which I have been so proud to be a part of has been extraordinarily exhilarating and pioneering in both spirit and practice.

“I am more honoured than I can say to have been given the opportunity to serve our region and to lead the work of this organization in arguably one of the most exciting periods of change in its history”.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

The statement said that the meeting also “looked at the scheduling and other arrangements relating to the inaugural meeting of the OECS Economic Affairs Council, which is expected to take place in St. Lucia in late September”.

It said matters relating to further sittings of the OECS Assembly were also discussed and Prime Minister indicating that he would want the OECS Authority to mandate another session of the Assembly at its seat in Antigua in order to debate the Eight-Point Stabilization and Growth Programme developed by the Monetary Council (CMC).

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