All hands needed on deck SS UNC

Brutus: There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3, 218–224

In October, 2007, I made a decision to leave the UNC. It was an extremely difficult decision, becauseI was a political disciple of Basdeo Panday. I joined the UNC upon my return from London, and stood at Mr Panday’s side as his lawyer and supporter through thick and thin. I fought many of his legal battles without taking a penny from him. In October, 2007, I decided to leave the UNC. It was painfully obvious that the time for change in the leadership of the party had come. Mr Panday needed to step aside and allow a new leader to take charge. We could not win government with him at the helm. He was tainted with corruption charges, and his credibility was compromised. His unforced errors as PM led to the collapse of the UNC government. Panday refused to facilitate change in the leadership of the party.

With a heavy heart, I left and joined the COP. When Kamla decided to challenge the two men whose mistakes and personal vendettas led to the UNC’s loss of government, I said: “Praise the Lord! It’s about time!” She was the leader-in-waiting that everyone wanted to emerge. She had remained with dignity in the shadows of Panday for far too long. I supported her and prayed that the change that we had all been praying for would come. Our nation is at a critical juncture. If the PNM is not removed from office in the next general election, there will be a repeat of 1956-1986, when it ruled this country for 30 years without interruption. Manning will analyse the election results. He will know where the PNM have lost votes, and calculate with surgical precision where the PNM has to build new housing settlements.

He will voter-pad by transplanting people from PNM strongholds into marginal constituencies, and entrench the PNM in government. People are fed up with Manning and the PNM! He has his priorities all mixed up! Manning has undermined the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. He has abused his powers and created a silent constitutional crisis that threatens the very rule of law. The independent institutions and offices that are meant to act as an audit and check and balance on the abuse of power by the government have all been manipulated and compromised.

This is the situation:
1. If you suspected political corruption, you would want to report it to the Integrity Commission, which has wide powers to investigate corruption (none for over a year now)
2. If the Integrity Commission finds a case is made out, it has to refer the matter to the DPP (Manning vetoed the candidate recommended by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and hence has someone acting).
3. The DPP can refer the matter to the Commissioner of Police, but again, Manning had someone acting at his behest.
4. If you wanted to complain about the police being biased in their investigations or police brutality, you would have to go to the Police Complaints Authority (none for over two years now).
5. If you wanted a firearm to defend your life and property, but the Police Commissioner refused your application, you have to appeal to the Firearms Appeal Board (none for almost two years now).
6. For over FOUR years, Manning refused to fill the posts of Solicitor General (SG) and Chief Parliamentary Counsel (CPC).

The SG gives independent legal advice to the Government and the CPC ensures the laws tabled in Parliament are properly drafted to protect us. Last month, after a four-year wait, Manning approved the appointment of Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell, who is the daughter of former PNM vice-chairman John Donaldson, as the country’s SG. He also approved the appointment of Ian McIntyre as CPC. The extent of the undermining of our constitution by Manning is, perhaps, best illustrated by the terrifying state of criminal activity. The constitution of our country guarantees to each citizen certain basic fundamental human rights. The first right is the right to security of the person. In T&T, the State is unable to guarantee the safety of our citizens. Police Commissioner Philbert tells you not to wear jewelry or go out after dark.

The Police Service itself cannot even purge the criminal elements from within its own ranks. There is an undeclared state of emergency in this country. People are living under self-imposed curfews, sanctioned and endorsed by a government that cannot control crime. Our homes have been converted into virtual jails. If a state cannot guarantee the fundamental right to safety and security, the social pact has been breached and anarchy will prevail. This is a constitutional crisis. Manning has ruptured the very soul of our nation. The time has come for us to re-take possession of our land. People from all walks of life are expressing support for her mission.

She is an agent of change and will lead us to victory in the next local government and general election. Kamla’s humility and charismatic appeal has sparked a political revolution that has brought hope to a depressed nation. There has been a massive shift towards her on the ground. Some people don’t quite realise the extent of the political avalanche. The political ground on which they are standing is moving. I will join this political revolution and help her to get rid of the PNM. To my colleagues who are going around in circles, I say we need all hands on deck on one ship in order to defeat the PNM. The name of that ship is the UNC, and the captain of this ship is Kamla. The time to unite is now!

By Anand Ramlogan