US to rule on ambassador to Jamaica today

The country should know today if United States President Barack Obama's nominee, Pamela E. Bridgewater, will be given the nod as that country's new ambassador to Jamaica.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will conduct the confirmation hearing starting about 2:30 this afternoon.

The White House announced Bridgewater's selection two weeks ago, almost 18 months after the office was left vacant by Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson, who ended her tour of duty in January 2009.

The announcement also came less than three weeks after alleged west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was extradited to the US to answer gun and drug charges.

Washington and Kingston had repeatedly denied that the 10-month Coke extradition dispute had anything to do with the delay in appointing the new ambassador to Jamaica.

Previous postings

If Bridgewater's nomination is approved, it would not be her first posting to the island.

She previously served as deputy chief of mission in Jamaica, where she established many strong personal relationships.

Only last week, she was a guest at the wedding of media tycoon and chairman of the RJR Communications Group, J. Lester Spaulding, who tied the knot in Washington, DC.

Bridgewater, a career diplomat, also served as US ambassador to Ghana and Benin, with other postings including Belgium, South Africa and The Bahamas.

"We anticipate that she is somebody who will be extremely valuable to Jamaica," Dr Ken Baugh, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, said days after the White House announcement.