You are hereCreate Content / A dictatorship in the making - but who is to blame?
A dictatorship in the making - but who is to blame?
I found the follwing paragraph from Martin Daly to be especially disturbing, since I share a similar view.
One must be fair to Mr Manning. He does suffer awfully from an imperial style of governance, but if he gets his wish to amend the Constitution he will have done so openly and by democratic means. He is not to be faulted for that. He has stated his intention, put it before the electorate and is seeking to win their approval by the ballot box. That is what democracy, warts and all, is about. If he has foolish and selfish opponents, democracy permits them to be that way. If the business community wants to put making more pots of money above courage and good sense, that is also their democratic right; but they too may cry later if they find out that fortune frequently favours only the brave.
The disturbing part is the phrase " he will have done so openly and by democratic means".
I commented on 26th March 2007, that this can be blamed on Basdeo Panday.
I hold no brief for Pa-trick. He has become arrogant, and this can be blamed on Panday. By his own irresponsible actions over the years, the ridiculous and thoughtless speeches he makes, Panday has shown Pa-trick he has no worries over an election. He has not provided the necessary checks and balances he ought to have done. Therefore with nothing to stop him Pa-trick rampages on, his actions only to feed his own ego. Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." We can see how power has twisted these two men over the past several decades. There is no defence for this.
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We could blame Scholar and dee likes of him.
Scholar will blame COP.
COP will blame PNM and UNC-A
UNC-A will blame COP.
Is the above true or not?
Leh all ah we blame each odda, man!
Does the concept of individual responsibility operate in T&T. Dat muz be too high fuh dem dong dey boy.
Will the electorate take any blame. Nahee!
Jumbie I have to agree with you, that the likes of Panday gives Manning even more freedom to pursue his "agenda" of "Executive Presidency" (read Dictator) with little or no hindrance or opposition.
I also read today's Guardian article on "The Draft Constitution" and at first glance its very frightening, even absent of all the details contained within.
We keep on hearing that nothing is wrong to an "Executive President" and they exist in the U.S etc, but in the absence of proper and adequate checks and balance, which we don't have here in TnT, it is dowright dangerous, and even more so, when we have politicians who are behaving like clowns, then Patrick is laughing all the way to "His Million Dollar Palace and Private Executive Jet". (Raw Dictatorship)
I am also in agreement with you, in that, this is not put to the people nor is it public knowledge if its "secret", so how can he say that "he will amend the constitution by open and democratic means."
If you vote him in office by a majority, and he proceed to implement the "secret draft constitution" it is my view that it should be put to a "referendum to the people" before doing so, but I don't think thats how its going to happen either.
Panday has to accept some blame for this, as he is only interested in serving himself, and making a fool of it at the same time.
On the other hand, the people, the "electorate", must be more informed and knowledgeable about this aspect, "this scheme", of what Manning is planning to do, and for him "slide it under the guise of DEMOCRACY" is very worrisome and frightening, because once done, it is irreversible. The people will share some blame here too.!
People have to vote this time with their wide open, but that too is day-dreaming, all the while Panday doing his "clown thing" (red beret and all) and making the people laugh, but mostly Patrick Manning.! very jokey, yes!
You're "right on" Jumbie, hope others are catching the drift too! Hope they looking out, oui? Else, crapaud smoke we pipe when its done!
goodluck!
trini.t.o.o.
Boy ah have to agree with you.
Keep in sight one important thing - checks and balances cyah wuk whey yuh have a culture of corruption. Dare I start a diatribe on the Integrity Commission and its administration.
What about basic Constitutional Rights? How many times the PNM Govament get tap up at the Privy Council for breaching the Constitution in the last few years? Only a few days ago they get tap up again for not implementing their own laws: see Guardian 2007-10-16. And all Pastor Patos could say is, "The Privy Council is the highest authority in the land right now. And if it says that the Equal Opportunity Act should be implemented, then so be it. If they say so, that is so.”. You ever hear a more air-headed response from a political leader in your life, to such an important matter? Like we supposed to drop dong on dee floor and worship Pastor Patos for such 'learned' comments - Oh puhleeese!
So Trini.t.o.o et al, checks and balances are there already. The problem is far deeper than mere checks and balances will correct, or keep in order. The problem lies in the culture of corruption that Lloyd Best spoke about so eloquently before he died. The point is that you could legislate checks and balances in till the cows come home, if people do not want to work the law and the checks and balances, they are as good as nought.
Therefore I assert that Trinidad is not ready for an Executive Presidency. Such a thing will spell another Cuba or Zimbabwe.
What the country needs is a radical overhaul of the culture of the administration at the very top.
I cannot see that new kind of culture coming from a UNC led administration. When they were in power the bobol mentality was most prominent as well. The PNM? Well I think you don't need scholar's massive intellect to see that they are the said culture epitomised.
So I think, that looking at the COP's policies and proposals, and the calibre of the people with them, that there is more likelihood that the diseased culture will be changed.
Ah hear some crapeaud bawlin' - dat muz be a sign boy!! LOL.
I see your point about checks & balance Captain, and you're right in saying that they all exist in some form presently, its just that they are not being "observed" or even "carried out", and even when they are, they are ignored and overlooked completely, depending on "what" is happening and taking place and by "whom".
Remember the name, Andre Monteil, PNM Treasurer and some $110 million share purchase? And Manning saying that he will have the transaction reversed? Well have we heard that name lately so far in the election frenzy? Not a peep from anyone!. Why?
Remember the Chief Justice Tribunal and Lord Mustill, and just recently the news reported that the Legal Counsel sent a letter advising the Tribunal that there was no need to release their Report & Findings to the President prior to the "election"!.Why?
Yes, its also true that when the UNC was in power, their "trail of corruption" is still being sorted out by the courts at home and abroad in the U.S too. You hear anyone talking about it in the election trail? Not a peep! Why?
So your observations are indeed correct in that there are many, I don't know if enough, checks and balances already there, its just not making any difference. There is such a widespread culture steeped in corruption, that is very hard to get around, even if there are people out there, and there are, who are genuinely interested in "rehabilitating" that change of culture.
And yes, to the majority of politicians too, there is that expectation of "entitlement" to anything and everything they can get their hands on, once they attain office. So you can see the huge challenge faced by those who are at least interested and focused on implementing some change, very rough indeed!
Having said that much, real life comes down to making choices, and "sometimes they say, you take the best out of a bad lot", the "least bruised apple that won't spoil the rest of the barrel" as the rest are already "tainted."
In this case, COP comes out on top, the best of the lot.! As the saying goes, the other two already know where the "cookie jars" are hidden, and will run straight for them once they get in. In the case of COP, at least it will take a while before they find out where those cookie jars are hidden.!
My final comment is, that all politics are dirty, and most politicians have good intentions at the start, it is a real test for those who can live through their terms of office and resist the "temptations of their entitlements" and come out clean.
We have to put somebody in office, and so my theory is put in the ones who take the least and give back the most to the people. Its a simple test, take a close look and see if it fails?
Somewhere I recall reading a saying, "One good deed is better than a hundred good intentions"!
So true, when we look back at a road filled and strewn with "broken promises" in this journey to the "Land of Milk and Honey" and so far, no one is holding them accountable for delivering on the many many promises they made, but failed to deliver on any!. Why?
And all of this while Hundreds of Billions of Oil Revenue Dollars evaporated into the thin air without a trace, nothing to show for it, nothing for the people, zip, nada, zero.!
Nothing to show for the people except, hunger, poverty and crime in abundance.!
All those that are there are interested in is "their entitlements", the "bribes" and "bobol" and "corruption"!
So yes, Captain, checks and balance are good in words, but they are not worth the books they are written on if the books remains closed and at the bottom of the pile collecting dust, never to be opened or read again.!
Goodluck! trini.t.o.o.
Well according to Newsday 2007-10-22 talk about a Constitutional majority is second nature now. Manning now claims he is not after such a thing.
Nonetheless he still plans to 'love up' the nation with what ever majority he gets - and it is apparent that he does expect some kind of majority.
Newsday reported, "Manning said there was a “spirit of love” in the PNM campaign which was reflective of the spirit in which PNM has governed the country over the past five years and was the very spirit in which the party was seeking another term. "
Spirit of love? Oh puhlesse!! How much love - what kind of love - has the country had from the PNM in the previous 5 years. Ketchas is hospitals? Serious violent crime? Bobol mo' dan ever? Breaches of Constitution? Discrimination at a high level? Police brutality? I dare not repeat all that Trini.t.o.o has summarised for us above in this thread and elsewhere.
Aye boy, people really so chupid dong dey boy? Whey scholar? Now is he opportunity to blame COP for giving Manning the executive presidency on a golden platter?