TnT Politics: What is to be done?

Posted: April 28, 2002
An analysis by
Dr. Kwame Nantambu

One of the most dangerous, scary and diversive fall-outs of the current political gridlock and grandmomship is the possibility of the reality of the "partitioning of the country" along ethnic lines.

This reality portends the emergence of Apartheid TnT style--- a system that promotes separate development of the races. Concerned, courageous and committed Trinis must assure the Basdeo Panday does not replicate the conclusion of the U.S. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (1968) that the "nation is moving toward two societies: one black, one white---separte and unequal."

Basdeo Panday must not be allowed to move this nation toward two societies: one Afrikan and one Indian--- separate and enequal. TnT is a polyglot, multi-racial society and this structure must remain intact, by any and all means necessary. Panday's Divide and Rule freight-train must be derailed, denounced and detonated.

His ethnic master-plan is totally unacceptable and undemocratic. This is total insanity and the ovent intamigenge on the part of the dejected UNC leader Basdeo Panday seems to pointing the country in that direstion. This is total irresponsible behavior on his part but one must be reminded that the taste of power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely.

This is the political scenario the UNC leader is determined to paint for governance in TnT. He must not be allowed to succeed and/or be successful in this menacing endeavour. The fact of the matter is that the nation by the dejected UNC political leader that "Prime Minister Patrrick Manning and the PNM regime are holding the country to ransom by not agreeing to power-sharing to run the government" is nothing but preposterous and outlandish. This is an invalid, false, and crazy nation coming from a sad, sorry, dissed loser.

The fact of the matter is that Basdeo Panday is indeed the entity who is holding TnT to ransom by purposely refusing to participate in the process of safe, smooth and same governance in TnT. The stark reality that the UNC is holding shadow cabinet meetings sends loud, clear signal to the Trinis that its political leader and cohorts are adamant in their recalcitrant ploy to run TnT into the political abyss if they do not recapture power.

The fact of the matter is that the UNC is demanding "power-sharing or nothing" because it is convinced that jail-prison time appears assured on the horizon for some of its political appointees who are facing "charges of that and misbehavior in public office." Commissions of Enquiry into the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), construction of the $30 million Biche Secondary School and Piarco airport, alleged fraud, collusion and voter-padding--- irregularities in the EBC during the 10th of December 2001 elections, the "fiasco" in the Secondary Education Modernization Programme (SEMP) Electricity Commission, just to name a few, are the principal reasons why the UNC leader is engaging in public Bad John political talk, postering and vile threats. As overseer, he must do everything in his power to prevent his comrades from going to jail. I understand that.

However, although they are innocent until proven guilty, Basdeo Panday must understand very clearly that the indicted "white-colour criminals" must and will "feel the full weight of the law" because TnT citizens are demanding that "the scourge of corruption" must be expunged from goverance and public policy formation in TnT. Enough is enough. TnT citizens are sick and tired of thievery nepotism, sculdugery, deception, and malfessance perpetuated in the UNC government. The corruptive slate must be clean.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning should not allow his government to be hoodwinked, bamboozled and took by Basaeo Panday's scare antics and pyrotechnics of blatant psychological warfare masquerading under the guise of " marches, demonstrations, boycotts and civil disobedience."

Prime Minister Manning must insist that there will be no "fresh elections" until the voter's list is cleaned up. Prime Minister Manning must ignore the UNC's "Black to the Polls" campaign as a travesty, slap, and indictment to democracy, rule of law and smooth governance in TnT. This campaign only represents a mind-game, albeit a con-game. Indeed, this UNC ---induced current gridlock has brought to forefront the reality of rampant political meningitis that has spread among the UNC leader and his comrades in arms.

A UNC political plague has now engulfed TnT. Only free, fair elections with a valid, correct and all--- citizen documented voter's list is the prescribed medicine to relieve or cure the infected UNC victims or patients of their self-inflicted illness and prison-based paranoia.

Indeed, it would be self-inflicted political suicide if the PNM regime were to bite or nipple Panday's bate and contest new elections with defective, albeit illegal, corrupt, tampered, crooked voter's list. He must ignore Panday's public threat that he would not return to Parliament without the holding of fresh elections. Parliament should still be convened in April 2002.

Parlimentary democracy in TnT is not a ONE-MAN show. Trinis demand democracy; they reject outright one-man dictatorship, monocracy and hypocrisy. The leader of the UNC must abide by the post-election Crowne Plaza Hotel agreement that allows Parliament and government to operate in a smooth, democratic manner and to accept the Prime Minister appointed by President Robinson. The interests of the citizens of TnT and responsible governeance must take precedence over the acquisition of political power. The leader of UNC seems oblivious to this same reality. Personal pride is not more important than the public good. Prime Minister Manning must not be forced "to call fresh elections." He must stand on his cemented-paved ground on behalf of the PEOPLE.

Indeed, the public arrogance of Basdeo Panday that President Robinson "is part of the problem" and therefore, cannot "be part of the solution" to the current political melanoma afflicting TnT only speaks volumes of his dogged determination to continue obstructionist politics. Trinis should not accept this. Patrick Manning is Prime Minister. Take your blows like a grown mature man and let the wheels of democratic governance roll---Mr. Basdeo Panday. Challenge the PNM regime in new elections with a valid, correct, allinclusive, allaccounted for and allrepresented voter's list. That's the only way to go. Basdeo Panday must realize that "the limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."

Political endurance and the strict adherence to public morality and principle are the ways out of this current political or gridlock. On the other hand, this current insane gridlock suggests that maybe there is now a valid need and argument for the emergence of a new political party in TnT. Maybe, now is the time for the emergence of a new genre of politicians whose primary raison d'etre is not to rely on a monthly salary to pay their mortgage or children's tuition at a university abroad but to engage in national service so as to maximize the interests of all the PEOPLE. This political gridlock demands that careeer public employees who masquerade as Ministers and Senators have no place in governace in TnT. Maybe, now is the time to put the final end to rebvolving -door politics and political recisivisim in TnT.

Maybe, now is the time to fire re-mix politicians. Maybe, this new millennium demands the ejection and rejection of the perpetuation of old-time pappyshow, congosa and mamaguay in politics and governance in TnT. Maybe, now is the time to fashion a new philosophy, vision and modus operandi of public morality, public policy formation and governance in TnT.

Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").

Dr. Nantambu is an Associate Professor, Dept. of Pan-African Studies, Kent State University, U.S.A.

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