They provided, so easily, topics upon which to write in anger, scorn or ridicule. But even though they are gone, their legacy of incompetence and corruption lives on, to be dealt with and hopefully excised from our society by the new government.
But we should not assume that the new government will always do the right things.
Indeed, what is right to some of us may be wrong to others, as we are already noting in comments about how the new government is moving and what they are doing.
While there are things which still need to be “cleaned up”, in terms of investigations and bringing to people to justice where necessary, I think that most people would like to see those investigations quickly and unemotionally assigned to investigators, and the government moving forward with programmes which will benefit the people—infrastructure, health care, security, pensions, renewal of licenses and passports and the like.
Let us deal with the “cleaning-up” first, because there is a lot more than beaches, rivers and parks to be “cleaned”.
Today is the Prime Minister’s Clean and Beautify Day, and this involves so much more than putting on gloves and cleaning up for today alone.
If you cannot “join” Today, but you do make an ongoing commitment to keep your environment clean, and you live up to that, you will have done more than those who only committed to Today.
Clean-up investigations are needed into UDECOTT, the Guanapo Church, the CLICO and HCU collapses, and the many last minute contracts finalized by the outgoing PNM.
Completed reports into Biche High School, Landate, Cleaver Heights (Robert Lindquist) and the Caroni Bridge Collapse must be made public.
I have one full Commission of Inquiry to propose, and that is the Commission of Inquiry into the events of July 1990 which is long overdue. It was deliberately stymied by the previous governments of Patrick Manning and Basdeo Panday.
I and others will argue more extensively for this Inquiry during the coming weeks, but for now, let us remind those who say it was too long ago to bring up now, that the United Kingdom re-opened their Inquiries into Bloody Sunday, an incident which occurred in 1972.
Justice has no time limit folks!
However, as we ask the new government to move forward with their programmes, we see them faced with unanticipated issues needing clear thought and action.
The first is the sudden squatting issue. There is good reason to believe that the outgoing PNM had organized the land grab at Cashew Gardens. But whoever organized it, it needs to be resolved—by moving the people and their buildings.
Then we have the “poisoned chalice” issue of a new Commissioner of Police. The issue should not be whether he is local or foreign, but whether the person can be found who can do the job.
Keith Rowley’s disingenuous comment that there ought to be someone local who the government could select begs the question: Where was Rowley for all the years that the PNM was trying to find a CoP?
And for all of you who seem to feel that the prime criterion is “being local”, what would you say if a Trini was chosen as CoP in Toronto?
The new government also has to be more circumspect in their statements, especially “off-the-cuff” comments on various issues.
My suggestion—try to defer comments where you are not sure of the policy on any issue: “That will be discussed in Cabinet” is valid comment on matters which are not yet resolved.
Also, the new ministers must remember to contact the opposition MP whenever a visit is made into their territory. Health Minister Baptiste-Cornelis slipped up badly in this respect when she visited Tobago.
The other “policy” issue still to be handled is the extradition matter involving Galbaransingh and Fergusson. And this must be based entirely on the final decision of the courts, not on any political or other consideration.
But while the policy decisions are important, the new government is being watched for what they actually do. Jack Warner’s challenges with flooding and traffic, and his promises to bring some salvation, will be closely monitored.
And already he is discovering that decisions taken do not translate into results achieved, at least not in matters of governance!
And finally, we have seen the new government move swiftly and bravely on the issue of Local Government Elections. It is fitting that this demonstration of our surviving democracy is taking place the day before the twentieth anniversary of the attempt to deny us this right.
Peter's columns also appear in Newsday
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