Thursday, January 31, 2013

Letter: Dookeran must accept blame on Mohammed affair

With all due respect, I think I've had enough of "right politics" for the while. Mr Right doesn’t appear able to get it right at all. 

Up early to begin preparation for my kids' class outing, it shocked me to read in the Guardian as I waited for the potatoes to boil. The story featured Winston Dookeran's response to questions put to him about the Hafizool Mohammed affair. Mr Dookeran is practically throwing the blame on someone else for his serious lapse.

Dr Dookeran is someone whom, for many years, I’ve trusted. Since first hearing him speak at a meeting in Preysal High School some years ago, I was convinced his is the type of levelheadedness to take us into the Promised Land. I was upset when he lost out in 2007; very upset. 

My dismay disappeared when Kamla offered him a lifeline in 2010 which carried him and the Congress of the People into governance as a key element of the Partnership, leading to his being appointed Finance Minister at a most crucial time.

His mishandling of the Hafizool matter has turned back the clock! Right now, I feel completely flabbergasted at his bungling of a simple exercise, because it can result in the loss of all his political capital.

As an educator, I know the value of dotting every "i' and crossing every "t". Dr Dookeran is way more qualified than I am. He must know the important of verifying before giving anyone a passing grade, far more, a distinction. 

How can he own up to recommending someone for a position without knowing for sure if that someone was qualified for the post? How could he say his job was just to mention any name? Wasn't he at the time the leader of the Congress of the People and already given the opportunity to act as Prime Minister? 

He definitely wasn't one to second-guess, is what I'm suggesting. The way he comes it across in today's newspaper, he seems to have eenie, menie, miney, moed when asked to submit a name, instead of doing what was expected -consulting the COP’s hierarchy in order to identify the best person for the job.

I eagerly await the outcome of this matter. There's more I wish to say about Dr Dookeran’s apparent passing of the buck, as it seems the COP has lost its way. But, right now the potatoes are ready, so, excuse me, I have to call it a day.

Omatie Rajpaul-Henderson of Circular Road, Sta. Margarita.

No comments:

Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai