The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has sent out a "Staff Notice" to heads of the country's overseas missions informing them of the education drive by the governing People's National Movement (PNM). And that's raising some serious concerns about whether the Manning administration is blurring the line between party and government.Notice #40 of 2009 dated July 20, 2009 to heads of missions from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states:
"Please be informed that the People's National Movement has embarked on an education drive to sensitise the public on several key Government initiatives. The Honourable Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has indicated that a number of important Government policy issues will be discussed at these meetings.
"These include:
- Vision 2020 - Modernising Systems of Governance
- Local Government Reform and Governance
- Constitutional Reform
- Regional Integration and Governance
- International Governance."
This is not the first time the Manning administration has connected the party with the government. He is fond of using party events to announce major state initiatives. He gave details of proposed constitutional reforms at a party conference in July last year.
Read the story: Manning unveils constitution reform
And just days ago a senior cabinet minister boldly told Parliament that the party would be foolish not to give sensitive jobs to party faithful.
There is also the controversial decision to paint the PNM balisier symbol on the tail of the national airline, Caribbean Airlines, which was eventually removed after a public outcry.
And recently, this blog published photographs of the balisier adorning the office of the Trinidad and Tobago consulate in Toronto. The balisier was removed the next day.Read the story: Is balisier at TT consulate a coincidence?
Commenting on this latest move, a former diplomat and head of foreign missions called it "very worrying". Reginald Dumas told the Sunday Express it constitutes a party notice being sent out to Government workers.
"I have never heard of this before, never come across this where the party is being advertised by the Government" Dumas said, adding that it seems to represent "a conflation of government and party" and raises the question of what happens if a public servant does not follow the suggestion contained in the notice.
"This notice is going out to heads of missions. I was a head of mission and I never had something like this," he said, noting that communication such as this would suggest that foreign diplomatic staff should follow the directive.
Dumas said while the notice describes Manning as "prime minister" he will in fact be speaking in his capacity as political leader of the PNM.
He suggested that if the PNM is doing this then the proper thing would be to allow opposition parties to do the same.
"It is very worrying, Government is trying to bring the public, and foreign service, under party control, to not represent Government, but party," Dumas told the paper.
Manning told party supporters on July 13 not allow the "politically uninitiated" win a future election and "experiment" on them with their policies. "Trinidad and Tobago has gone to far under the PNM to allow the uninitiated to come and experiment with you," he said, adding that the PNM would not lose another general election to a political coalition as had happened with the NAR.
"They have one vision and one vision only and that is to get rid of the PNM. It happened to us once but it ain't happening again," he said.
Read the story: "We ain't taking that:" Manning tells supporters reject the opposition
At that same meeting Manning also slammed the media. He lectured his audience on the role of the media, which he said is to educate and inform. He declared that he is not sure the media are performing their proper role.
Read the story: Manning slams media...
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) reacted swiftly to Manning's assertion and asked for a meeting with the prime minister.
Manning has agreed to meet with MATT on Tuesday to discuss Government's relationship with the media.
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