CASTRIES, St Lucia:  Shortly before the opening of the meeting of the OECS Authority in Antigua on 10-12 January 2007, the Director General, Dr Len Ishmael, was informed that a "submission" had been made to Ministers and delegates regarding her leadership and management of the OECS Secretariat.

OECS Director General, Dr Len Ishmael

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the OECS Secretariat, these allegations purported to reflect the views of OECS staff members. The contents of the communication were designed to embarrass and bring into disrepute the reputation and integrity of the Director General, said the OECS statement.

On 15th February 2007, the OECS Chairman, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Baldwin Spencer, paid a visit to the Secretariat which, it is said, was routine and customary and in line with similar visits by other heads of OECS governments acting in their capacity as chairman of the organisation.

On the 12.30 newscast on a St. Lucia radio station, an item was carried indicating that Spencer was visiting the Secretariat allegedly as a result of a decision taken by OECS Heads to "investigate" the Director General.

This matter was pursued in a call-in programme following the newscast, where the talk show host alleged that he had documents in hand. Statements that can be deemed to be defamatory of the Director General were reportedly made. Several members of the listening public called in with further allegations which were, says the OECS statement, of equally possible defamatory content.

At 10.15am on February 16, the local press gathered at the OECS Secretariat for the Press Conference as had been previously scheduled. In attendance were the OECS Chairman, the Director General and the Director of the Economic Affairs Division of the Secretariat. Addressing the media, Spencer expressed his shock and bewilderment regarding news reports as to the purpose of his visit to the Secretariat.

"I want to dispel any notion whatsoever, that any such decision was taken in the first place, and that my visit to St Lucia has anything to do with an investigation into the Director General or any body else at the Secretariat," the Chairman stated. 

Spencer dismissed the action by one element of the news media in carrying the allegations as hard news, as "irresponsible", and asked whether or not the principles of "common decency" would not have dictated pursuit of the "truth", noting that in the process, the image of a most important regional organisation, had been tarnished and that damage had been done to the reputation of the Director General.

He added that the Heads of Government retain total confidence in the leadership of the Director General and work of the Secretariat as a whole in executing its mandate.

"We have said so from time to time, and we have gone on record as stating how positively we think of the work of the Director General and the kind of leadership she brings to the Secretariat since she took office, and the fact that the Secretariat as a whole - the tremendous work which they have been able to accomplish under trying and difficult circumstances in advancing the cause for regional unity among OECS territories..." said Spencer.

The Director General provided statistics in response to the rumours of "wholesale" departure of OECS staff during her tenure, noting that of the 56 persons who had left the organization across the system (in St Lucia, Brussels, Geneva, Ottawa and Dominica) 34% had left because they had completed their contracts and projects had come to an end (some of these persons were actually rehired to work on other projects); 15% resigned to continue their studies, 14% left to take up positions in other regional and international organizations, 9% were recalled to national service, 5% wished to pursue private businesses. Four persons resigned without giving a reason; 2 posts were made redundant in the process of restructuring; 2 contracts were terminated (one 2 months short of completion), and one persons had retired. Sixty new employees had joined the staff over the same period.

The Secretariat says, with concurrence from the highest level, it will now take action on the matter. The architects of the campaign against the Director General are said to have been specifically identified to the Organisation.

The Director General has reportedly now authorised a team of legal practitioners to take any and all actions deemed appropriate for redress regarding the issue of defamation of character, and to prosecute the same in a Court of Law against those concerned in the publication of their defamatory statements.