No one has divine right to government: T&T President

President George Maxwell Richards made a call Thursday for more open government in Trinidad and Tobago, saying that while the country is going through the worst of times it is possible to convert it to "the best of times". He was speaking in Tobago at the inauguration of the PNM-led Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

"The times are challenging, of that there is no doubt, but there is the possibility that these times can serve to bring the people more into partnership with those who govern," the president said.

"Here is an opportunity to be clear about the facts and invite healthy discussion and criticism, on the way forward, to a greater degree than we have seen thus far, in matters that affect our everyday lives and our future in the short, medium and long term."

He explained: "What I am advocating is more open government, more shared perspectives, particularly given that very solid answers to some of our ills may reside within the minds of ordinary people, people who may never be elected to political office.

"This is the time when bipartisan activity can find a place in the way we do things, and it is a way that should become the norm, regardless of political rivalries. In the final analysis, it is the welfare of all of the people that is at stake. That position holds good for general elections, as it does for elections for the Tobago House of Assembly."

The president said is is absolutely critical that all those elected or appointed to political office connect with the people on whose behalf they have been invited to serve, adding that no one has any divine right to govern.

"No matter how brilliant and feasible the policies and plans are, if there is no connection between leadership and the people, it is not the people who would have failed, it would be leadership that has failed," he said.

The president urged the new THA members to communicate with the people they serve because they put trust in them to represent them faithfully. He said their message to the people must always inspire the hopes and aspirations of the people. That, he said, would begin the process of enhancing the quality of life of the people of Tobago.