When Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar summoned her cabinet for an emergency meeting Wednesday she knew that it would be tough one. At the end, she emerged as a stronger leader, demonstrating once again that she a person dedicated to the principles of consensus and unity.
And her coalition remained in tact, much stronger than when the troops gathered for their discussion.
“Why else do we get involved in politics?” she asked as she reported to the media. She explained that unlike her predecessors she had no need to crack a whip or get anybody in line. What was needed, she explained, was discussion and consensus, which is exactly what happened.
Kamla made it clear that “No minister has been fired. No minister will be fired. No minister has resigned. And no minister has indicated any desire to resign.”
There was a lot of discussion among all ministers and each of them accepted that the government must be guided by the principle of collective cabinet responsibility.
"My Government is very strong...the Cabinet is very strong and I have not picked up one dissonant voice that seems to be saying, 'I do not want to belong to this partnership or I want this partnership to break up'.” she said.
Those who had a specific agenda and the T&T bachannal society were quick to feed the rumour mill with misinformation and report as fact that Kamla had fired Congress of the People leader Prakash Ramadhar from her cabinet.
The Express newspaper, which doesn’t often update stories online, carried a breaking news story that Prakash was fired. The Guardian media's reporter at the scene said she had reliable information that Kamla had done the deed. And at COP’s operations centre the troops had gathered with COP chairman Joseph Toney.
“Why else do we get involved in politics?” she asked as she reported to the media. She explained that unlike her predecessors she had no need to crack a whip or get anybody in line. What was needed, she explained, was discussion and consensus, which is exactly what happened.
Kamla made it clear that “No minister has been fired. No minister will be fired. No minister has resigned. And no minister has indicated any desire to resign.”
There was a lot of discussion among all ministers and each of them accepted that the government must be guided by the principle of collective cabinet responsibility.
"My Government is very strong...the Cabinet is very strong and I have not picked up one dissonant voice that seems to be saying, 'I do not want to belong to this partnership or I want this partnership to break up'.” she said.
Those who had a specific agenda and the T&T bachannal society were quick to feed the rumour mill with misinformation and report as fact that Kamla had fired Congress of the People leader Prakash Ramadhar from her cabinet.
The Express newspaper, which doesn’t often update stories online, carried a breaking news story that Prakash was fired. The Guardian media's reporter at the scene said she had reliable information that Kamla had done the deed. And at COP’s operations centre the troops had gathered with COP chairman Joseph Toney.
He told the Express later, "I want to especially thank all the national executive members and others who came out to the Operation Centre in solidarity to plan a way forward if the rumour was indeed true." And he said “We await a report from our political leader.”
Inside the room with his colleagues at the Diplomatic Centre Prakash took a beating for the public pronouncements he had been making, culminating in what amounted to a rebuke of the Prime Minister.
Inside the room with his colleagues at the Diplomatic Centre Prakash took a beating for the public pronouncements he had been making, culminating in what amounted to a rebuke of the Prime Minister.
His own MPs were unhappy and pointed out that he could not continue along such a destructive path. In the end he agreed and all the members of the cabinet pledged full support for the partnership and the government.
However Prakash still has to face the vocal COP officials and members who will be calling for his head on a platter because they didn’t get their ounce of flesh. They had pushed their leader to the brink and the irresponsible posturing almost caused a fracturing of the partnership on the eve of the coalition’s second anniversary.
They will not give up easily. How Prakash treats the issue now will determine whether he saves face nationally and whether he has a future as a political leader.
However Prakash still has to face the vocal COP officials and members who will be calling for his head on a platter because they didn’t get their ounce of flesh. They had pushed their leader to the brink and the irresponsible posturing almost caused a fracturing of the partnership on the eve of the coalition’s second anniversary.
They will not give up easily. How Prakash treats the issue now will determine whether he saves face nationally and whether he has a future as a political leader.
He had already painted himself in a corner. Wednesday’s cabinet meeting saved him from disgrace and all credit must go to Kamla for demonstrating that leadership is not about autocracy but about compromise and understanding.
She could have fallen for the COP bait and either fired Prakash or put him in a doghouse. She chose neither because she knows that the reason she worked so hard to build a coalition in the first place was to give a voice to everyone.
She could have fallen for the COP bait and either fired Prakash or put him in a doghouse. She chose neither because she knows that the reason she worked so hard to build a coalition in the first place was to give a voice to everyone.
So while she and her government could have survived without Prakash and COP she understood that such a situation was ethically wrong and contrary to the principles that bhrough the partnership into being.
The people voted for a coalition of interests that pledged to govern with professionalism, transparency and ethics; she was not about to break that bond with the people.
The next chapter in this drama is for Prakash to stand up to COP and let them know that HE is the leader and that he and his ministerial colleagues will make this coalition work. If they are unhappy with that, then he would have one of two clear choices: remain committed to the government and the coalition or hand over the leadership of COP.
For COP the latter would be a political death sentence since the strength of the party lies with its parliamentary caucus. No matter what its leaders outside of cabinet might think, the party will not be able to stand alone and win an election if it walks away from the coalition today.
It’s a message that the Movement for Social Justice must also heed as it prepares for battle with its partnership members.
For now all is well. It’s going to continue to be stormy seas as the government enters its third year. There will continue to be stress and tensions. However, if each component part of the partnership is determined to hold on to the principles enunciated in the Fyzabad Declaration and fight to make Trinidad & Tobago a better place, the partnership will survive to 2015 and beyond.
With Kamla as the leader, chances are good for that to happen. She has demonstrated that she is committed to Trinidad & Tobago and to service to the people. And that is the commitment that will hold this coalition together.
Jai Parasram | Toronto, 3 May 2012
The people voted for a coalition of interests that pledged to govern with professionalism, transparency and ethics; she was not about to break that bond with the people.
The next chapter in this drama is for Prakash to stand up to COP and let them know that HE is the leader and that he and his ministerial colleagues will make this coalition work. If they are unhappy with that, then he would have one of two clear choices: remain committed to the government and the coalition or hand over the leadership of COP.
For COP the latter would be a political death sentence since the strength of the party lies with its parliamentary caucus. No matter what its leaders outside of cabinet might think, the party will not be able to stand alone and win an election if it walks away from the coalition today.
It’s a message that the Movement for Social Justice must also heed as it prepares for battle with its partnership members.
For now all is well. It’s going to continue to be stormy seas as the government enters its third year. There will continue to be stress and tensions. However, if each component part of the partnership is determined to hold on to the principles enunciated in the Fyzabad Declaration and fight to make Trinidad & Tobago a better place, the partnership will survive to 2015 and beyond.
With Kamla as the leader, chances are good for that to happen. She has demonstrated that she is committed to Trinidad & Tobago and to service to the people. And that is the commitment that will hold this coalition together.
Jai Parasram | Toronto, 3 May 2012
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