Has Rowley's time come?

Keith Rowley should know that he is wasting his time and effort sounding off about a probe into the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) or any organization for that matter. What does he expect?

And if the shoe was on the other foot and another cabinet minister was out the door shouting for accountability perhaps Rowley would have been a part of the Cabinet chorus singing all is well just like Lenny Saith, Colm Imbert and the others.

Rowley is no saint, but people should pay attention to what is happening. And if Rowley is genuinely concerned, he would do something about it.

It’s interesting how it all developed. For quite some time now influential people have been asking why the government handed so much power to Calder Hart and UDeCOTT. And people were also asking for some serious accountability over the mega-projects that are consuming billions of dollars. The government, which included Rowley, remained silent and did nothing.

But Rowley knew a long time ago that something was wrong. And when he became the target of an Integrity Commission probe, he knew that he had to make a play. So he did. And he did it knowing that the boss would not be amused.

But he was gambling that he might have an ace. It turns out – for now at least – he had a jack and it was Patrick Manning who had the ace. But the game is not yet over and he can pass the jack and win.

When the so-called Rowley affair gets off the front pages with some other ‘distraction’ it would be business as usual. Calder Hart would still be doing what he has been doing all along. And there would be no commission to probe UDeCOTT.

And who can blame Manning?

Politics is about power. He holds it now and he’s going to make sure that nothing will change that. The rule has always been the same: "Not a damn dog bark." And Senator Hazel Manning reiterated it quite clearly last week when she announced to the media, "The Prime Minister has spoken."

And that’s why Ken Valley’s "crusade" against Manning and his call for Rowley to fight for the leadership of the party would not achieve anything. In the end, both Valley and Rowley would become political footnotes, irrelevant men who dared to challenge the absolute power of the leader.

And don’t believe for one moment that if the PNM’s constitution allowed a one-member-one-vote system to choose a leader Manning would be at risk of losing his job.

You see the PNM has survived for more than half a century not because it is a democratic institution but because it is a disciplined one that demands conformity to certain rules and patterns of behaviour that keeps the tribe together. "One for all, and all for one", to borrow a line from the Musketeers who put their lives on the line to protect the King of France.

So when the bedlam erupted over the UDeCOTT matter, Rowley broke the rules and stepped into the line of fire. And look how quickly he became the outsider!

From senior Cabinet minister to pariah in one day. He is the man who "efficiently managed the PNM’s ambitious state housing programme which has resulted in 26,000 housing starts since 2002."

And there’s more: "The PNM believes that Keith is the embodiment of our Vision 2020 philosophy that advocates equal opportunities for personal growth, self-expression, enjoyment of life and participation in the development process." That’s straight from the PNM’s website.

So what happened?

The party muzzled its members and Cabinet is now fully behind UDeCOTT. It turns out, after all, that Cabinet had approved the hotel that Rowley questioned. It’s just that a few people didn’t know about it, were not told that they should know about it or had forgotten.

Rowley’s biggest mistake would be to challenge Manning for the leadership of the party. He is not an idiot. Manning made sure Rowley’s earlier attempt failed and with so much more at stake today Manning would pull out all the stops to make sure he retains power.

If Rowley goes up against Manning and the tribe he would be committing political suicide. The tribe would make sure of it.

But if Rowley is really interested in standing for integrity, accountability and the rights of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago he can fight another fight and win. Now is the time for him to rise above partisan politics and stand up for the nation and its citizens.

He can do it by hanging up his PNM political hat and standing up for what is right. If Rowley is genuine – and today I give him the benefit of the doubt – he would get together a citizens coalition and scrutinize everything the government has been doing since Manning usurped power in a presidential coup in 2001.

People would volunteer their time and talent. And he would get invaluable support because people are tired of and frustrated with the current regime. That citizens’ coalition would conduct research and produce facts about what’s wrong.

Rowley has already said he has information that he would present to a Commission of Enquiry. But there won't be any enquiry.

So why not use the incriminating information to effect genuine change and bring justice to the nation? Why not enlist Ken Valley and other political outcasts to join this coalition adding his expertise and his inside information? Why not co-opt people like Gillian Lucky and others who put the nation first?

The point is Rowley can make things happen. He is in the right place at the right time. But taking on Manning is not the way to go.

We still have a free media in Trinidad and Tobago. Yes, there are some partisan pro-Manning media managers, journalists and editors. But I still have confidence that the media would report verifiable facts. The media diversity is strong enough to generate the national conversation on what is right and what isn’t. And they would perform their role as the fourth estate and demand accountability. The media can turn the system upside down.

If Rowley wants to do something for the nation, he must take up the challenge now and leave Manning and the PNM alone because taking on Manning, especially within the PNM establishment, is futile.

It might look tempting. The prize might appear easy to take. But like story of the dog and the bone, it's a mirage and Rowley would lose everything.

But if he cares and demonstrates a genuine interest in doing what’s right he would find that together with the people he has the power to bring down the Manning regime. And the people would hand him the biggest prize of all - the leadership of the nation. It would be a welcome new beginning for a nation that is clamouring for leadership and change.

But the nagging question that remains is this: What really is his agenda?

Does he want to fix all the problems or only the only the ones that affect him? Does he want to create a just society or is he only interested in changing the guard? Does he want a government that accounts to the people and represents them or one that dances according to his music?

These are serious questions. I believe Rowley may yet become the most influential leader in the country. But he must stand up for Trinidad and Tobago and all its citizens. If he does, he would find that Trinidad and Tobago is ready for change.

The challenges are enormous, but so are the possibilities. Over to you, sir!

Read Dr Hamid Ghany's column on ROWLEY