Although he was referred to as a “nice” individual who was “anxious” to fulfill his post in The Bahamas, Charge d’ Affaires at the United States Embassy Robert Witajewski could not state when the new Ambassador to The Bahamas, John D. Rood of Florida, would take office in the capital. Mr Witajewski, told The Guardian in a recent interview that the process was somewhat “complex.”
Mr Rood was nominated on May 6 by the President of the United States, George W. Bush. However, Mr Witajewski said the President had to select Mr Rood and then he had to be nominated. His nomination is then submitted to the Senate, where it will be given to a committee for investigation and review. “In the case of The Bahamas, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the Caribbean and the Western Hemisphere would review Mr Rood’s nomination. They will also hold hearings, and they would review his qualifications,” he said, continuing, “They will then vote on whether or not to send the nomination to the full committee. The full committee will then vote whether or not to send the nomination to the full Senate. Assuming that these are positive, then the full Senate will vote at some point to give its advice and consent about the individual.”
The U.S. Charge d’ Affaires also pointed out that when the Senate gave its advice to confirm Mr Rood, the resolution would be attested to by the President. Mr Rood would then be sworn in by the Department of State, before he would arrive in The Bahamas and present his credentials to the Governor General.
Asked how far the process to appoint Mr Rood had matured, Mr Witajewski responded, “I would not be so foolish to presume the mind of the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate operates by consensus, so it could be a very rapid process or it could be a more deliberate process, but that is something only the U.S. Senate will determine on their own. I think we should not presume to anticipate the Senate’s actions. He is a very nice individual, we have talked quite a bit and I know he is anxious to come here because the President nominated him, so he is looking forward to coming.”
According to the White House website, Mr Rood, the new Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas, currently serves as chairman of the Vestcor Companies, which he founded in 1983. The Jacksonville, Florida, company develops multifamily rental and condominium communities, controls a real estate investment portfolio, and provides construction services to its clients.
Mr Rood earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana. He will fill the position left vacant by J. Richard Blankenship, who resigned on June 5, 2003. Since this time, the Embassy Chief of Mission, Mr Witajewski, held the post of Charge D’ Affaires until an
Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
