Citizen Manning

Mr. Manning does not see the defining difference between the privileges of a private citizen and those of a Prime Minister.

Unfortunately he also does not understand the indigenous mores of radio jockeys despite our calypso heritage and extempore science.

In his interview with the press dealing with his radio encounter, he simultaneously advocated that part of the media support the government as if the government were competing with another party for elections as in the case of Obama and “poor Mc Cain”.

Mr. Manning disingenuously denies that his armed bodyguard entourage may be perceived as intimidating and inquisitorial. He casually drops in occasioning massive traffic diversion and palpitations to onlookers, to record his displeasure, and then claims that the ensuing episode has nothing to do with him. He now intends to pursue relief for his injuries via the courts – an excellent idea, though a trifle late.

Mr. Manning has been trampling over the established norms of democratic governance in a cumulative and sustained pattern that will not result in popular discontent in this carnival country, but will soon become the political tradition for similar minded mis-rulers.

Phoning a police station to make a point, appointing a police commissioner personally instead of the proper Commission, using Woodford Square for his “coronation”, holding court in Woodford Square in an extended tea break improperly orchestrated, not very benignly dropping in on a radio station perceived as offensive, these are all breaks with democratic tradition.

When seen against the backdrop of prosecuting a CJ unjustly, cancelling the appointment of a Commissioner of Police chosen by his government’s own guidelines, drafting a new constitution for the third time, without public consultations or input arbitrarily and allegedly anonymously authored by a round table group, initiating a mini federation unilaterally without prior public consultation, disbursing TT money to foreign countries on personal assessment of need, trying to buy his office a luxury jet to match its palace residence, all amidst a decaying social fabric beleaguered by murder and mayhem, dearth of highways, rising inflation, failed health services, abysmal detection and prosecution of criminality, and yet looking forward to his own vision 2020 in purely materialistic terms of skyline development, the montage that emerges is not a happy one for a concerned public.

Inflation at 14.5% and murders past 453 for the year to date testify to a deteriorating condition out of control and appeals for patience and assurances of early relief are recurring without any credibility.

Mr. Manning’s radio protestations are contradictory and ambivalent and are in fact insidious in the context of his mis-governance all outlined above.

He has become engrossed with self importance in the pursuit of international eminence through his proposed twin summit extravaganzas. His vision seems tailored for dictatorship and his directorate’s profligacy is taking us rapidly towards penury within twenty years.

His full blown dictatorship will be over a banana republic with depleted resources realizable soon after his 2020 dream fades. The next step may be for him to pay a traffic stopping visit with his armed entourage to any newspaper bold enough to publish this letter.

Let us see how many shall dare.

M.F. Rahman | Opposition Senator