Dirty tricks galore

October 12, 2002
By Bukka Rennie

We right there now with the rest of the world! Who would have thought that we would reach there so quickly?

One incensed supporter of a particular political party even e-mailed to say that "incompetence is as damaging to social development as is corruption", boldly suggesting that "incompetence" was synonymous with one party and "corruption" with the other, with all the ethnic overtones therein, which seem to have become acceptable to many in today's Trinidad and Tobago.

What does crime have to do with ethnicity? Does any one ethnic group have a monopoly on greed, incompetence and downright stupidity? The least said about this, however, is best.

What concerns us though is the level and extent of "dirty tricks" that became quite apparent within the recent election and which has certainly placed T&T squarely on the world map. We bunching the with very best.

The very first sign came with the discovery of cocaine and ammunition, in this case a sophisticated shell, in the water tank at the home of Sadiq Baksh at a time when he was away in Miami attending to his wife's medical requirements. That was big news. That made the headlines.

However, the fact that two people were held for this act has yet to make the headlines.

In fact, all the authorities have remained dumb on this issue and we are yet to be given any explanation about the arrest of these persons and what was their underlying motivation.

Then there was the case of a spent cartridge found at the back of some old toilet tank in one of Jack Warner's properties. We had moved from a "shell" to a "cartridge", both useless, but nevertheless projected as evidence of politicians being set-up by their electoral enemies.

And just as we were about getting attuned to this trend, the planting of spent ammunition was stopped.

Out on the hustings after the date of the election was announced, suddenly citizens found themselves listed for deletion owing to the rampant abuse of the right of any citizen to object to the placing of anyone on the electoral list.

Activists from one particular party had a field-day in the marginals, particularly Tunapuna, "objecting" at random. It was a calculated, concerted effort to disenfranchise hundreds of people.

People found themselves having to spend long hours at the EBC to undo this dastardly deed. Many did not bother.

But if one believes these "objections" were the product of the most devious minds, much worse was to come.

WASA in concert with Government's plans and projections embarked on an extensive pipe-laying exercise to bring water to the most hard-pressed communities at the extremity of the system, particularly those in the hills.

In eight months, much was accomplished and thousands of citizens were enjoying a constant supply for the very first time. Such people all over in Tunapuna, St Joseph, Moruga, San Fernando, etc began to sing praises to the Government.

One week before the election someone printed and distributed bogus WASA bills to these new customers, charging them outrageous sums.

WASA had to quickly dispel people's fears by distributing genuine bills and engaging in much damage control.

The people involved in this act had to have had access to WASA's customers' database and frankly should be brought to justice for public mischief.

As Election Day drew nearer, many people on the ground were expecting an attempt at something dramatic to tilt popular sentiment in the favour of a particular party.

Then there appeared on the eve of the election a somewhat disturbed woman claiming to have had an illicit affair with, and a girl child for, a politician.

Could this have been intended to sway people, particularly women, to be sympathetic to that lady as they entered the polling stations?

The claim made by the woman has been refuted but questions about the whole episode still needs to be asked.