ALERT-PORTRA
TAPP IN CURTIDENCL
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SIR DUNCAN WATSON
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NOMIAL LENGTH OF GOVERNORS' ALOINTAVIS
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TAMISTRYNANA
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One aspect which the Dependeul Territories .enior Appointuenta Board did not touch on in connection with the appointments cornicerad at yesterday's Beating wan the actual length of appointment. I levo for some time thought that it would be timely to reconsider tue normal duration of Governors' appointments. During the heyday of the Colonial Empire it was accepted that the normal period of a Governor's appointment should be give years. This is still reflected in the most recent edition of Colonial Regulations (1971 Revision CR 3) which reada na followe
"Governor holda office during lier Pajesty's pleasure, but in tenure of office in norfully confined to a period of five years from his assumption of the administration or much lesser period za may be governed by political and constitutional developmante in the territory.
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2. Over the lant 8 to 10 years practice in this respect has changed considerably. This is largely a result of a diminution of the number of ¡ERGS officers appointed on a career beɛis to Governorships and the increasing number of orpointments made either on a contract baɛin (o.r. Sir John Field) or by the secondment of members of the Diplomatic Service. In recent years vovernorɛ have tended to be appointed for three year periode red in so e canes four yeers, though in the case of bir Thorna Ceten' comnippment Jest year to it Helena,
lent it was decided to make the appointment on a five geer basis. dome existing oppointments, particularly in the case of seconded #irlor tic ervice officers are formally on en indefinite basis though there raj be an informal understanding that ubi ointment is likely to be for approximately three years.
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3. My own view is that we owe uw zoN Go Negara a tired your term the norm for Dependent Territor,
overmors, with the possibility tont to do co, e if the officer cornerned wero agregable, the appointment could be extended for a further period.
if it were in the public int
4. The argument in favour of a three year normal term rests lori ely on the greater degree of flexibility it confers. Lout of the
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territorica with which we now derive a relatively small expetriate administrative elerert at savior Lovela cor nared with the infi: iboly broader supporting structure whien (xisted, for example, in une former African Colonies. Frog nu-dez vovernorukipo carry accordingly # much greater degree of isolation end gingle responsibility over though the territories themselven may be miniscule in size. be risks if we happen to find ourselves saddled with e Governor whore performance heppens to fall chert of expectations are thus correspondingly greater.
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
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