Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit (L) and British Baroness Patricia Scotland of Asthal
ROSEAU, Dominica — Fresh off her victory of having been elected as Commonwealth secretary general designate, Baroness Patricia Scotland of Asthal paid a visit to her country of birth, Dominica, and promptly delivered a message to detractors of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit: “Suck salt”.
The baroness was delivering a speech at the dedication of a primary school in her honour. The school, located in the village of Veille Case, which happens to be in the constituency of Prime Minister Skerrit, sits on the picturesque north-east coast of the island. Skerrit was the baroness’s lead sponsor at the recently concluded Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Malta and this visit is somewhat of a victory lap of sorts.
The prime minister came under heavy criticism for having pushed Scotland for the post. Although she was born in Dominica, the baroness, age 60, last resided on the island when she was two, which makes her “dominant nationality” English, according to rules governing the selection process in the Commonwealth, a fact that should have prevented her from being elected as secretary general. As fate would have it, it didn’t, and Scotland, a highly accomplished woman, is now the incoming secretary general.
Scotland, in delivering her remarks to the crowd gathered at the dedication ceremony, proudly emphasized her Dominican roots, speaking in alternately in both languages commonly used in Dominica: English and French Creole. She went on to praise Skerrit profusely and had a very “classy” message for Dominicans who oppose him: “Go suck salt”, then promptly gave the royal wave goodbye.