Draft Constitution is autocratic

The much vaunted new Constitution has now been presented in draft format to the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Unsurprisingly, this draft has not garnered the interest of the public for a document that is so crucial to the future of our nation. As members of this same disenchanted public continue to add to their list of complaints about the mismanagement of the nation, one asks how can the public complain about the running of the country but then not take a vested interest in the mechanics behind the running of the country.

Though the draft paper has only recently been presented (the ‘white paper’), there is, with a general election looming on the horizon, the impetus for this draft to take the next step towards implementation as soon as possible (some expectations state a ‘green paper’ document before the end of 2006). Without the public interest, perusal and involvement it is all too possible that this 159 page document can be passed as the new Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago in relatively quick time, a document it has to be stressed, that will determine the manner in which we are governed. Yet the interest for this all-encompassing draft remains dormant.

The judiciary and Parliament itself has suffered the fate of ambiguous laws, drafts etc. that has restricted their ability to perform in the best interests of the nation, now we are confronted by a draft that contradicts the very purpose for which it was enacted, to restrict the considerable power that the political leader of T&T wields, in the hope of a more democratic process.

A look at the draft shows the favouring of the ‘Executive President’ model as we meander along the road to full Americanism in media, behaviour, thought, deed and now, governance. What this means is that we the public, will put all the power into one individual as this President will be leader of his political party, Head of the government and the Head of State. If you think that the current PM currently makes whimsical decisions without much opposition or regard for public opinion, what do you think will happen with a Constitution that grants almost total political power to an individual? Though the favoured practice of late is for our President to steer clear of all things Party-related, surely we all recognise the folly of eradicating the system of a separate Government and State.

Other points for major concern regarding the proposed Constitution would be the appointment of the Chief Justice by this President. Given the current situation between Mr. Manning and Mr. Sharma, one does not need to highlight the potential issue of a President choosing a leader of the judiciary that favours his/her desires. Effectively, this could lead to a President deciding upon which laws he will adhere to and which ones he will ignore. This type of system will even dwarf the burgeoning autocratic leadership that is raring its head in T&T.

Though there are many more points to be raised from this draft such as the eradication of the Cabinet sharing responsibility (and therefore accountability) for government decisions, the PM has stated that there are more aspects that will reveal themselves as further examination of the document continues. However it is hardly likely that there will be any proposed solutions to outweigh the massive empowerment that the post of Executive President will produce.

It is quite confusing that Sir Ellis Clarke, the man that stated (in 2005 I believe) that the office of Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago holds too much power hence the need for a new Constitution, then produces a document that does the opposite to his observation. Though we are continually reminded that this is the first draft and it is now to be debated in Parliament, the general direction of this draft should give cause for concern to a public that already feel helpless when their government makes decisions in a dictatorial manner.

It is equally baffling that the purveyors of our news, the quality media, have not provided much comment or more importantly a breakdown of the major points of this draft. Not everyone has the access or will go to the Parliament website to look at the draft (http://www.ttparliament.org/docs/constitution/20060818_draft_constitution.pdf). One would have thought that the importance of such a document would entail a daily/weekly series dedicated to empowering the people of T&T with the knowledge of this draft along with comment and potential repercussions, be they positive or negative. It is part of the obligation of the media to enact this.

If copy can be given to the berating comments of members of the Opposition and the Government, surely this qualifies as a higher priority in the echelon of worthy news. I trust that my mild criticism will not deter you from the points listed above.

This draft has silently entered the door of Parliament but some of its intentions are quite loud and clear despite its infancy. The importance of this document means that the people of this nation need to understand its affect upon their rights and freedom and be involved in its development , otherwise like the majority of similar projects, we will continue to be distracted by other things and when the changes take place that leave us even more helpless and disenchanted we will wonder how and why we arrived there. The governance of a nation is important enough to garner your attention and your continued involvement, don’t you think? Get involved.

Sheldon Waithe

31/08/06

Crunch Time

It is crunch time for Trinidad and Tobago. The 2007 election finds the nation at a crucial juncture whereupon the result of this election determines the trajectory of the country in far more ways than the governance of the people for the next five years. The feedback from the people indicates that those that recognise this fact are coupled with the archaic practice of voting based upon ethnicity, social standing and traditional allegiance. As we are engulfed in the haze of campaigning, the minute differences that separate the contenders and the desperate attempts to woo your vote through the need to berate each other while ignoring policy, it is vital that we give ourselves the reality check to rise beyond the promises made on party platforms over the next fortnight.

In my article in August 2006 regarding the draft Constitution I outlined the reasons that the Ellis Clarke drafted document did not suit the political climate of T&T. A little over a year later the matter is of premier importance as the ruling party readies itself for implementation of this document, removing those that may object to it in a new Cabinet, at a time when a common complaint amongst the public is a lack of checks and balances to keep decision making democratic. Why then, one would ask, would you reinstate a Prime Minister already well versed in the practice of autocracy and nepotism (witness the Minister of Education) to an even more powerful position of Executive President? Even considering the lame behaviour of the office of President of late, why would you consider the removal of the office that acts as a major obstacle to bestowing almost totalitarian power to one man, the PM. Mr. Manning may not consider this as he exhibits the symptoms of myopia associated with those that consider that their decisions are absolute but it is a classic example of power corrupting and T&T does not need it to be escalated to absolute power corrupting his ‘vision’ absolutely.

In this reality check amongst the party’s promotions consider the alarming crime situation to which we have allowed ourselves to become accustomed, taking ever more precautions in the hope that when the crime does affect us it will not be of the violent variety. The failure of the PNM and its predecessor the UNC to arrest the appalling crime situation is reason enough to follow the example of St. Lucia and remove a government for failure to curb crime. And if a succeeding Government also fails to make a meaningful dent on crime the same applies. Governments do not throw money at crime in the hope that this maintains some control. Instead investment directed towards training, detection and social programmes that eliminate the scourge of the next set of potential criminals, eliminating the lure of gang culture, while taking a strict approach, with accountability, to a situation that would be considered to be of emergency proportions elsewhere. The role of courts and justice system as the vital support to the police has to be addressed. Crime exists in every nation but think about it while you step away from the silly season arena, T&T: officially less than one arrest per police officer per year, a daily murder statistic in a nation of just over a million and the abysmal failure from a succession of Security appointments. As stated, the crime situation alone, that failure to provide the basic need of a secure environment, warrants thought to your vote. Why reappoint any administration that has seen the situation grow progressively worse during its time in power?

Trinbagonians have to remove their minds from the tradition of being a die-hard (insert party name here) as well as the cult of personality of party leaders before casting this most vital of ballots. You would not put your money in a bank in the midst of disarray, being run without clear direction, changing its managers undemocratically as proof of its instability, so why vote the current Opposition into any position of power? Similarly you would not place your savings in a bank where you have no control over what is done with it, so why not put this thought into how you are governed? Breaking ranks is not the domain of brave politicians alone; voters can, for their own benefit, break their voting traditions.

The majority of the electorate will have already decided their vote, even without the parties producing manifestoes, yet the country has to shake its election foundations to the core. Those same manifestoes need to outline groundbreaking policies; they need to state a novel approach to governing with clearly defined check points and real accountability for failure to perform. The idea of the recall option for MPs is but a start. But for any of this to be meaningful, the electorate have to be willing to listen and therein lays the real problem, voting blindly followed by five years of regret or complaint. The people need to see past the pontificating and force the about turn that our governing requires. This is the cross roads for the nation. The real purpose of this election should be about the maturity of the electorate but the approach of the power-hungry defies this, as the bacchanal and verbal attacks continue to be lapped up by party faithful that, truth be told, have little reason for their allegiance. It is as if we believe that we should not demand better or that we sustain the complex of knowingly having the wool pulled over our eyes. This allows the type of politician that we have in our midst, where with 3 weeks to the voting date, various associations and people are still asking for policies.

Sadly, the need for the electorate to vote with real purpose is a pipe dream, that the choices on offer can be applauded for stating not very much or their past and present actions not causing alarm (party unification, no unification, Executive Presidency, dictatorial practices within their parties far less a Government) highlights this. My fervent hope is that we vote with intelligence and long range vision come November the 5 ^th otherwise we remain political gold fish, harbouring a five seconds memory, locked in a glass bowl and being fed a few daily crumbs of comfort from our masters while hoping that the bigger, bad fish is not going to get to us today.

Sheldon Waithe

Rock the Vote

I am more than a little ticked off whenever someone tells me I can’t speak on political issues because I don’t vote. As if the fact that I refuse to stamp an X next to the lesser of two evils makes me somehow less qualified to comment on what is gong on in my own country than someone who rolls out of bed every five years and dips his finger in some ink. As if your duty towards nation ends with this act, or your other contributions are negated by not performing this rite.

I am not ashamed to say that I have never voted in my life. As a matter of fact, no person in my circle of friends who is under the age of thirty-five has ever voted either. If they have, they are too embarrassed to admit it. This seems normal considering that upwards of 50% of 18 to 35 year olds didn’t vote in the 2002 election, according to an analysis of the EBC information that is available.

Not that the people I know are a reflection of the general population, but I know for a fact that voting does not necessarily go hand in hand with lack of patriotism or lack of concern about issues of governance. As a matter of fact, the non-voters in my life all make productive contributions to our society in one way or another. Why then are they not exercising their “civic responsibility”?

One friend told me she would never dip her finger in “Babylon ink”. This was an expression of her disdain for the trickery and corruption of the political structure. To vote would be, in her mind, a validation of the useless electoral process. This resignation is so commonplace. Youth in general seem to be disgusted with or disconnected from the leadership of this country, who don’t even feign relevance to this non-voting demographic.

An activist I know said once that he doesn’t understand the point of voting as long as existing structures of governance are in place. The underlying problems must be fixed first. His entire life is dedicated to the reform of these structures and he does work to mobilise, educate and motivate young persons towards this end. Here is proof that you don’t need to vote to do what you think is best for your country.As for myself, my conscience could never allow me to support nepotism, tribalism, corruption and thievery. This is why I cannot vote for either of the two parties with which I am presented at election time. This in addition to the fact that neither of them in my mind deals effectively with the issues that I consider most urgent. They are in no way a representation of my interests or values. I would rather vote for crazy Man-man from Naipaul’s Miguel Street than for someone aligned to either of the existing major political parties. In spite of this, I devote the majority of my waking hours to the service of my country.

Given that our political options are limited, I am comforted by the efforts of those in my generation who are grooming themselves and others to take up leadership positions in the future, and to do away with the failed institutions that people are still hopelessly clinging to. I refer not to those who are following blindly in their parents’ footsteps, continuing the ‘us versus them’ mentality and inheriting their party cards. These persons have disappointingly been unable to shed the limited frameworks that have been handed down to them. When I was on campus it was they who ensured that guild politics was a microcosm of the farce that was national politics.

I refer instead to the new voices: those with a vision for viable political alternatives; those who are taking the time to understand the untold history of this land; those who are engaged in struggle alongside their countrymen rather than trying to understand struggle by reading text books; those who work towards more equitable, just and inclusive ways of arranging our institutions. These are the ones who will rescue our sinking society and they will do it outside of our comfy, familiar, colonial, two-party, clannish political order.

Of the 975,000 persons that make up this year’s electorate, approximately 45 per cent are between the ages of 18 and 35. If the dominant trend continues, half of these will stay away from the voting booths and the other half will cast their vote for one of the limited number of choices. I suspect that new political entities will capture a significant percentage of the youth vote simply because they offer an untried alternative. I dream meanwhile of the day when masses of empowered young people will come out on Election Day to scream for real leadership in the way that only they can.

Shivonne Du Barry

Co-dependency

I think most people who are even mildly conscious of current affairs would agree that we have a problem with leadership in this country. Those in authority generally seem to lack hearts, backbones and any sense of ethics whatsoever. Paradoxically, the individuals who would make the greatest leaders are not often drawn to positions of great power. They prefer to work quietly and diligently behind the scenes, heading up NGOs, bettering their communities, doing research and maybe serving as independent Senators at the most. So the most powerful positions in government tend to get fought over by those Machiavellian characters that we’ve become familiar with.

How is it that these “smartmen” manage to capture and maintain power? Wait, no, the answer to that question is far too complex for this short column. What I’m really trying to figure out is why on earth do people love them so much? As I write this, I am looking at a picture in the newspaper of joyous people raising a Member of Parliament freed of an obscene language charge into the air. They seem on the verge of tears, ready to present the unproven cuss bird with their first born children. They will no doubt vote for him in the upcoming elections if he is a candidate. This is clearly the type of arrogant son of a gun you must be if you want the support of the masses. I admit that when I see these displays of behaviour, the first thing that comes to mind is that these people deserve everything they are served by those they put in power.

So is it that the smartmen are only able to gain power because the blind party faithful who wear the T-shirts and wave the flags give it to them? If you’ve ever been sober at a political rally it would seem so. These people swallow whole the most obvious psychological tricks, making one wonder if they have any intelligence to insult. They writhe in ecstasy at the words of their fearless party leaders, whose verbal powers rival those of evangelical preachers. They unleash their fury on those who sympathise with silly things like corruption and embezzlement trials. They scoff at evidence of London bank accounts and are willing to invent elaborate conspiracy theories rather than face the obvious. The worst among them excuse what in their minds are foibles and the debate for them is simply about who tief more. So it may be that the reason the liars and swindlers are revered so much is that they reflect the ethical standards of their supporters.

Of course it may also be that the smartmen are the ones who are pulling all the strings and manipulating the masses for their own purposes. A little rum, roti and a ten days to boot – they dangle these carrots in front of the most marginalised persons in exchange for votes. They have no interest in uplifting their constituents through education and informed dialogue; people might then become smart enough to see through their trickery. No, the system of handouts is favoured. In this way, those who most need help don’t see themselves as capable of bettering their lot and continue to depend on external forces. So maybe it’s not so much love as a sick dependence that the supporters of the good MP were demonstrating when they smothered him with hugs outside the courtroom on Thursday.

What exists is probably closest to a twisted symbiotic relationship. The parties and party supporters exist because of each other. I remember an encounter with bus loads of party faithful during a protest in South earlier this year. The people on the buses were wining down to loud music, all the while balancing bottles of rum and plates of food provided by their beloved party. They were arriving by the hundreds for a convention and had to pass through a community that was protesting against the building of aluminium smelters in their backyards. Some of the bus people responded with obscene gestures and curses. What was most startling to me, though, was the look of obliviousness on their faces. They really seemed to be unaware of what was going on, even though they wore “Build d smelter” T-shirts. They were just enjoying the free ride, food and booze, grateful maybe for the chance to escape what was probably the tedium or wretchedness of their daily lives. They would sit through the party convention and clap drunkenly and make up numbers for the TV cameras. It was difficult to feel angry with them.

Afterwards the party officials passed by in their SUVs with the windows up and the air conditioning on. They were an interesting contrast to the people who had passed before. They knew exactly what was going on and the smug smiles on their faces said it all.

Shivonne Du Barry