Somebody should wake up Terrence Farrell and tell him that the people of Trinidad & Tobago voted out the People’s National Movement (PNM) and Manning’s corrupt, divisive and partisan administration more than two years ago.
They put a new government in charge headed by a lady named Kamla Persad-Bissessar. As Prime Minister of the country she has the right to make decisions about how to run the country without getting permission from Farrell or the PNM.
Farrell has a problem with the appointment of Jwala Rambarran as governor of the Central Bank and has the audacity to suggest that Kamla’s decision to appoint Rambarran is another “misstep” like the Reshmi Ramnarine matter. Well, that point is so silly it doesn’t warrant a response.
Writing in the Express newspaper (No Sacred Cows) Farrell, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank, made the point that there was a lack of transparency in the appointment of Rambarran without offering any evidence to support his charge.
Then he goes on to criticise the government for making partisan appointments to state boards, including the board of the Central Bank.
They put a new government in charge headed by a lady named Kamla Persad-Bissessar. As Prime Minister of the country she has the right to make decisions about how to run the country without getting permission from Farrell or the PNM.
Farrell has a problem with the appointment of Jwala Rambarran as governor of the Central Bank and has the audacity to suggest that Kamla’s decision to appoint Rambarran is another “misstep” like the Reshmi Ramnarine matter. Well, that point is so silly it doesn’t warrant a response.
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| Jwala Rambarran |
Writing in the Express newspaper (No Sacred Cows) Farrell, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank, made the point that there was a lack of transparency in the appointment of Rambarran without offering any evidence to support his charge.
Then he goes on to criticise the government for making partisan appointments to state boards, including the board of the Central Bank.
I wonder where Farrell had been living when Manning and the PNM governments under Eric Williams and George Chambers were hiring anybody with a party card to any board or office they pleased.
And has he forgotten the highhandedness of Williams (If you don’t like it get to hell outa here) and Manning's boast that as leader of the government he would take care of “his people”. Have we all forgotten the famous secret scholarships that Joan Yuille Williams was in charge of?
Farrell is suggesting that Kamla was wrong to appoint Rambarran because there are better qualified people at the Central Bank (he names three and presents their resumes too).
And has he forgotten the highhandedness of Williams (If you don’t like it get to hell outa here) and Manning's boast that as leader of the government he would take care of “his people”. Have we all forgotten the famous secret scholarships that Joan Yuille Williams was in charge of?
Farrell is suggesting that Kamla was wrong to appoint Rambarran because there are better qualified people at the Central Bank (he names three and presents their resumes too).
In case Farrell has forgotten, the Prime Minister has discretion in the matter in the same way that her predecessors had the constitutional authority to make important decisions about appointments to state institutions.
If these Central Bankers are so competent (and the resumes suggest that they are), what is the problem? They would work with the new governor and together as a team they would get things right.
Farrel then unmasked himself when he digressed to suggest that Kamla would show partisanship in making the appointment of a president.
“The next big target will be the appointment of the President of the Republic (which) …unlocks the door to other appointments — judges, chairmen and members of service commissions and "independent'' senators — and will mute any criticism on the misuse of the country's defence force against civil society. These positions are critical given that some as yet unknown proposals for constitution reform will emerge in the next year,” Farrell wrote.
So what’s new? Max Richards was a PNM appointee and no one apologized for that. Remember the mess he made with the Integrity Commission? Ellis Clarke, the first president of the Republic, was also a political appointee as was Noor Hassanali. Every president of Trinidad & Tobago had the blessing of the Prime Minister of the day and the support of the governing party. So what is Farrell's point?
A government has the right to choose who it wants to be the country’s head of state and Kamla would be damn right not to appoint Max for a third term. And she would be damn right too to nominate someone who is loyal to her and her party (read partnership).
If these Central Bankers are so competent (and the resumes suggest that they are), what is the problem? They would work with the new governor and together as a team they would get things right.
Farrel then unmasked himself when he digressed to suggest that Kamla would show partisanship in making the appointment of a president.
“The next big target will be the appointment of the President of the Republic (which) …unlocks the door to other appointments — judges, chairmen and members of service commissions and "independent'' senators — and will mute any criticism on the misuse of the country's defence force against civil society. These positions are critical given that some as yet unknown proposals for constitution reform will emerge in the next year,” Farrell wrote.
So what’s new? Max Richards was a PNM appointee and no one apologized for that. Remember the mess he made with the Integrity Commission? Ellis Clarke, the first president of the Republic, was also a political appointee as was Noor Hassanali. Every president of Trinidad & Tobago had the blessing of the Prime Minister of the day and the support of the governing party. So what is Farrell's point?
A government has the right to choose who it wants to be the country’s head of state and Kamla would be damn right not to appoint Max for a third term. And she would be damn right too to nominate someone who is loyal to her and her party (read partnership).
Look at what happened with Basdeo Panday nominated his cabinet colleague and coalition partner, A.N.R. Robinson to be President.
In the past 10 years, the PNM’s president has left his stamp on all those appointments that Farrell is so concerned about. Can anyone seriously believe for one moment that Michael Annisette was an “independent” senator?
Coming back to the Central Bank matter. Jwala Rambarran is a highly qualified and experienced professional despite his age. Farrell’s suggestion that people hired by the current dispensation have bogus qualifications is an insult to the scores of competent, highly trained people who are serving in various state positions, including holdovers from the Manning administration.
According to Farrell, “top positions at key institutions are populated by persons equipped with "Pacific Southern University'' type "qualifications'' (accredited but not credible), while persons with "Columbia'' and "London University'' type qualifications give way.”
Well for the records, Jwala Rambarran holds a BSc. (Hon.) degree in economics and mathematics from the University of the West Indies (UWI), and a MSc. (Hon.) degree in financial economics from the University of London.
In addition, the new Governor is a graduate of executive economic and financial training programmes from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the IMF Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And most recently, Rambarran was recognised by the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, as one of the 50 distinguished alumnus as part of the campus’ 50th anniversary celebrations.
He is a highly experienced, highly competent professional, who has also worked at the T&T Central Bank and in the private financial sector. The PNM is upset that they cannot find any skeletons in the cupboard so they and people like Farrell are attacking Rambarran without any justification.
Farrell ends his commentary of a note of hypocrisy: "I sincerely hope he maintains and defends the finest traditions of central banking and of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago in particular."
We have no doubt he will, in the tradition of some of his predecessors.
In the past 10 years, the PNM’s president has left his stamp on all those appointments that Farrell is so concerned about. Can anyone seriously believe for one moment that Michael Annisette was an “independent” senator?
Coming back to the Central Bank matter. Jwala Rambarran is a highly qualified and experienced professional despite his age. Farrell’s suggestion that people hired by the current dispensation have bogus qualifications is an insult to the scores of competent, highly trained people who are serving in various state positions, including holdovers from the Manning administration.
According to Farrell, “top positions at key institutions are populated by persons equipped with "Pacific Southern University'' type "qualifications'' (accredited but not credible), while persons with "Columbia'' and "London University'' type qualifications give way.”
Well for the records, Jwala Rambarran holds a BSc. (Hon.) degree in economics and mathematics from the University of the West Indies (UWI), and a MSc. (Hon.) degree in financial economics from the University of London.
In addition, the new Governor is a graduate of executive economic and financial training programmes from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the IMF Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And most recently, Rambarran was recognised by the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, as one of the 50 distinguished alumnus as part of the campus’ 50th anniversary celebrations.
He is a highly experienced, highly competent professional, who has also worked at the T&T Central Bank and in the private financial sector. The PNM is upset that they cannot find any skeletons in the cupboard so they and people like Farrell are attacking Rambarran without any justification.
Farrell ends his commentary of a note of hypocrisy: "I sincerely hope he maintains and defends the finest traditions of central banking and of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago in particular."
We have no doubt he will, in the tradition of some of his predecessors.
Jai Parasram | Toronto, 17 July 2012
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