By CELESTE NIXON

Tribune Staff Reporter

cnixon@tribunemedia.net

MP for South Andros Picewell Forbes was appointed to the post of non-resident High Commissioner for the Bahamas to CARICOM by Prime Minister Perry Christie at a press conference at the House of Assembly yesterday.

This is the first diplomatic appointment of the Christie administration since their election to office in May, with the remaining positions expected to be appointed in the next 30 days.

"Mr Forbes,” he said, “brings with him not only his wealth of experience as a Member of Parliament but also a background in the Caribbean – serving as the President of the Guild of Graduates at the University of West Indies (UWI) when he was a student there. He is so far as we know he first and only Bahamian to do so. This gave him a good base for knowing the region and its people.

Mr Christie said the Ambassador to CARICOM is an important post in which Mr Forbes will be charged with re-engaging the Bahamas within the Caribbean community.

"Our new Ambassador, Mr Forbes, will have a job to working to develop what we hope will become a consular general in the not to distant future," he said. "I am sure that he will do well."

Last month, FNM chairman Charles Maynard criticised the government for only appointing recycled politicians on boards and committees.

Mr Maynard had also questioned the absence of Mr Forbes in any of the appointments and commented on the appointment of William Thompson as new chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas and by default ZNS.

While it was anticipated that he would be appointed as chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Christie said Mr Forbes was appointed to the ambassadorial post because he has received an education and is well connected throughout the region, in particular with UWI Alumni who are leading agencies throughout the Caribbean, and secondly because he requested not to be appointed to the broadcasting board.

"The choice is the right one, he is a young man that will be able to use the flare that he has in this personality to help our country make friends and influence people," he said.

Thanking Mr Christie for his appointment, Mr Forbes said he is excited about representing the Bahamas in the Caribbean region.

"I take this as a very serious assignment, as the face and ears of my country to the region," he said.  "I look forward to serving this country of ours well in the region, and to be an example and a great ambassador.”

According to Mr Forbes, his duties will include representing the Bahamas in negotiations and discussions with the government of CARICOM countries and other regional bodies in the Caribbean, to outline and publicise the policies and activities of the Bahamas government, encourage investment opportunities in the Bahamas, monitor developments in policy, law, political, economic and social spheres of the region and their possible implications in the Bahamas, while also fostering and promoting positive relations between the Bahamas and CARICOM.

"I see this as a great chance to make acquaintances and also to look at those things that will make us a better country – I look at it as a chance to see other prospective investors, bringing them here or taking them to Andros to invest in other parts of our country," said Mr Forbes. "I am going in there totally optimistic and I am looking forward to seeing our country really benefit from this relationship."