by Lloyd Noel The way the politics in our devastated Tri-Island State is unfolding, or developing -- if that is the right term in the circumstances -- must be producing serious food for thought for our neighbours and aid donors worldwide, as well as our people here at home and abroad in the many metropolitan cities where thousands live and work. It cannot be lack of understanding of what is needed at this particular period in our history; nor can it be because those on centre stage have already forgotten what took place less than a year ago on November 27, 2003; and I am well aware that all the correct and nice-sounding phrases are fully within everyone’s grasp, because they are repeating them almost daily to all and sundry. So there must be some hidden motive for the behaviour pattern that is spreading even beyond our shores since, and as a direct result of “Ivan Roofless”. With all the ole talk about unity, and involving all shades of opinion -- be they political, religious, or whatever else -- and putting the onus on Grenadians as a whole, to share in the rebuilding and recovery process because the destruction touched us all in one way or another; I really thought we had turned a page or two, on the road towards a new beginning resulting from the many lessons we must have learnt from 7th September. But the grapevine news coming out of New York, in the incident surrounding the Consul General Janice Celestine, makes me wonder whether we had not indeed turned a couple pages backwards. For a career diplomat, to have gathered a group of our politically divided Grenadians in that city, under one umbrella, to work as a committee for raising funds to help us back home, is the kind of achievement that should have gained her promotion to greater heights. Instead she has been hauled over the coals, as it were, and demoted. And it seems that her “crime” carried two counts on the Indictment, under which she was tried, convicted and sentenced -- all outside the realm of natural justice, since I understand she was not given the opportunity to defend the charges. The first count or charge was that she involved Grenadians who were not supporters of the Government in control, but of the Opposition NDC. And the second count was that she refused to pass the monies collected, to the consolidated fund of Government, or the so-called fund for the Ivan National Disaster. The monies were not donations or payment to the Government of Grenada, on behalf of a traveling diplomat expenses, or for some parliamentary approved project. These were for victims of “Ivan Roofless”, and the Committee had the last word about how their efforts should be utilized, and the diplomat had to honour their wishes. But for doing her job efficiently, effectively, and truly patriotically – she is treated like an outlaw, with scorn and disdain, by those who are supposed to be leading our nation and people towards a better tomorrow. What a farce. But then again, no thinking, conscious individual should be in any way surprised. Just look at how our Prime Minister and his Government are going about dealing with the whole question of involving all groups in society. A National Council is to be formed, of which the Prime Minister is to be the Chairman, and that Council will be making recommendations to Cabinet -- of which the Prime Minister is the first among equals, and the others depend on him for their Cabinet positions. And to add insult to injury, the same Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, is appointing an agency for implementing the Cabinet decision for rebuilding and reconstructing our devastated country -- and all of this without the debate, discussion, or decision, of the one Institution in our system with the requisite authority for so doing -- the people’s parliament comprising the Lower House and The Senate. I am not aware of a State of Emergency having been declared by the Governor General since “Ivan”, and therefore the people’s business must be debated and approved by Parliament -- yet we are hearing of all sorts of committees, and appointments, and huge sums of money being bandied about on the same airwaves, among other major decisions -- and the elected representatives of the people of Grenada have not had any input; except, of course, the eight members who form the Government from the NNP. And then just look at what and how the prime Minister and his group have been going about trying to divide the opposition forces in the country. It must be noted and fully understood, that just as Mrs. Gloria Payne-Banfield, the Leader of the GULP, has stated -- according to the report from a meeting she attended with the Prime Minister and the PLM -- that there is only one Government headed by the Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell; so too, there is only one opposition party in Parliament, headed by Hon. Tillman Thomas as Leader thereof. So rather than go to parliament, where only that Opposition party has locus standi (the right to speak on any issue) -- the Prime Minister is holding court in all kinds of places, with all and sundry, and attempting to convey the impression that it is all in the cause of unity and co-operation and nation building. Yet at the same time he bluntly refused to meet with the Chamber of Commerce executive -- even though that group is the linch pin for recreating the economy, and the members have lost millions. And reading between the lines, it looks as though the Prime Minister is achieving his objective, but I submit he is sending a grossly distorted signal thereby. If the statement attributed to the GULP Leader is all she said in the matter, it looks as though she is taking a dig at the NDC suggestion of a Unity Government, comprising the elected Members of Parliament. And although the PLM Leader is on record as supporting a National Unity Government (NUG), it also looks as though he sees that Government as comprising GULP and PLM, and yet he criticizes the NDC for wanting to gain power by a backdoor entry, and being prepared to go to bed with someone they consider corrupt and dictatorial. In my view, that is exactly what GULP and PLM are proposing in their interests, but neither of them has a seat in Parliament, as coming from the electorate at the last Elections. So who is trying to gain power through the back door -- or who is fooling who? As for the security issue and the whole question of law and order, the signals, mostly by omissions, are just as confused and very discomforting. Having taken no positive action to-date, about the looting and vandalism fiasco in the wake of “Ivan Roofless”, it cannot be said that the victims of those atrocities, have in anyway been given or shown any assurance to encourage or motivate them to pick up the pieces and start all over again. In fact, we are aware that many have decided that enough is more than enough and they are not re-opening their businesses. But over and above, and beyond our shores, having lost so many jobs, many temporarily and others permanently, the signals should be such as would encourage and boost the confidence of those on the outside, to come to our rescue by creating jobs with sound investments. Yet having treated our own job-producers so shabbily, what is left to encourage outsiders, or newcomers that they will be treated any better? And whether it is the business people themselves, or those of us who are providing such services, how can anyone conscientiously advise otherwise in these circumstances? If charity cannot begin at home, what super-human diplomatic initiative would be employed to convince foreign investors it would begin out there? Or are we to speculate, based on past experiences, that those we would be attracting do not need such assurances, since they are so shamelessly crooked anyway, that any law-abiding system would be the last thing they would want? I am hearing on the political grapevine, that certain persons now in Government as elected Members of parliament would not be contesting any future election, and therefore they are showing as little interest in the people and their business as possible. I sincerely hope that is not the feeling and outlook of the majority, nor the regime as a whole; because the negligence, and recklessness in some cases, is bad enough and very difficult to swallow, but to abandon ship in the middle of such devastation and still pending disaster, would incur the wrath of people generally, and history would not absolve those deserters so easily. It is a very sad state of affairs, that at a time when we should be getting unselfish and the highest quality of statesmanship from our leaders, we are in fact having to put up with very petty, partisan, political nonsense, from the very top. And to make bad matters even worse, it is happening in of all places the U.S.A., where everything financial begins and ends, whether we like it, approve of it, or despise it or not. The other social partners in our Island-wide set up are seemingly very quiet during all this carry on. But I wish to alert them, or sound a wake-up call, that the fact the roofs have been removed, so that we can see towards the Heavens and the Almighty more easily, does not and cannot mean we must only be looking up to Him, and saying and doing nothing to help make things happen. Am sure I do not need to remind those far more versed in the Scriptures than I could ever be that Heaven only helps those who are helping themselves. And with such clear signals being sent out, that so many things are not what they should be -- and their very flocks are suffering as a result -- it seems to me that the time is long past, when those in leadership positions to help save our souls should be vigorously lending their voices to help save our dignity, and integrity, and self respect as a people. Having mentioned parliament earlier in this article, I heard on the news that a sitting has been scheduled for Friday 5th November at St. George’s University. What surprised me was the Order paper -- as read out in the newscast by the Clerk of Parliament -- which contained nothing about the chaos and disaster facing us in the country Island-wide. I am saying no more at this point, but I will certainly be monitoring the happenings to bring readers up-to-date and to voice my own concerns. I cannot say it too often: the signals we are sending to our friends, and neighbours, and benefactors, are just not confidence-boosting, and certainly not geared to gain the support and influence the kind of people we really need to help us recover from the trauma and widespread chaos now surrounding us. Lloyd Noel is a former Attorney General of Grenada, prominent attorney at law and political commentator. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com