By Makeida Antonio
A reshuffling of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) executive board has taken place as a result of a key position left vacant.
First ABUT Vice-President J Tasheba Frederick has been appointed interim president of the body following the resignation of the former President Kimdale MacKellar, who resigned with immediate effect early Monday morning.
General Secretary of the Union, Annetta Alexander Hunte, confirmed that the union received the letter submitted by MacKellar yesterday. She said Frederick will occupy the post until a biannual election is held.
Hunte also added that the ABUT thanks MacKellar for his service and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.
Mackellar was elected to the post in 2020,
The outgoing President said that he was honoured and humbled to have served as head of such a great organisation, and during his tenure, brief as it was, he thinks that he brought value to the body.
The resignation follows what appeared to be differences of opinion between the executive and Mackellar.
The series of events which led to the former president resigning are unclear. However, it came within days of General Secretary Hunte writing to the union’s membership expressing disappointment at the manner in which MacKellar allegedly ‘misrepresented’ the views of the Union regarding the government’s vaccine mandate.
Following that development, it was decided that MacKellar was to be censored for his remarks.
According to Hunte, the position put forward by MacKeller on mandatory vaccination is not, and was never, the position of the executive or the membership.
Observer also received a third letter yesterday, in which the former President replied to the General Secretary indicating that at no time did he misrepresent the Union regarding its stance on mandatory vaccinations.
MacKellar stated that he shared his personal opinion on the matter, and he was satisfied that all parties understood that that was his personal stance on the matter, and not a shift in the ABUT’s position.