Cabinet has approved Chief Education Officer Lou-Ann Gilchrist as this country’s ambassador to the United States, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves confirmed on radio Tuesday, hours after iWitness News broke the story that she was being considered for the post.
“It is not a question of considering it. The Cabinet has taken a decision,” Gonsalves said.
He said her appointment will probably take effect from September “because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working out all the precise dates, because, naturally, when she goes up, she has to go and reconnoiter, she has to see what’s happening and then a particular date would have to be made to have her present her credentials to the President of the United States.”
Gilchrist will replace Kingstown’s former ambassador to Washington, DC, La Celia Prince, who is now working at the Organization of American States.
Gonsalves noted that SVG has some diplomatic positions that are political appointments and some are done by the Public Service.
He noted that Gilchrist is a public servant, like the country’s ambassador in Venezuela, Andreas Wickham and his wife.
While Gonsalves said Tuesday that Cabinet had approved Gilchrist’s appointment, a source in the know told iWitness News on the weekend that while she was being considered, her nomination had not yet reached the Cabinet.
Cabinet was expected to meet Tuesday after Gonsalves’ appearance on the Boom FM.
For those of you who need an interpretation of this. The cabinet is the filing cabinet at the PMs office at the financial building at special meetings on Saturday mornings.
Things get hot sometimes at one of the cabinet meetings the cabinet caught on fire ignited by a fan.