Republican Slayton can carry on, says Democrat Obama

US Consul General Gregory Slayton is to remain in his post, despite a Democrat taking the White House.

Yesterday the US Consulate would not comment on a story in The Washington Post saying Mr. Slayton, who is a Republican, would be staying put despite Barack Obama's presidential win last November.

Every US ambassador, as is the tradition every four years, was instructed by outgoing President George Bush to submit a letter of resignation, said the article.

It is the incoming President's choice whether to accept the resignations or ask ambassadors to stay on while a successor is confirmed, a process that can take months.

If Mr. Obama rejects an extension, the senior career officer at the embassy usually takes over in the interim.

State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid was quoted as saying Mr. Obama's ruling was "a personnel decision as well as a policy decision".

Mr. Slayton has won plaudits from all sides of Bermuda's political spectrum since arriving in 2005. He helped organise an annual diplomatic trip to Washington for the Bermuda Government.

Courtesy of Royal Gazette reporter Matthew Taylor