CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ----------------------- INSIDE GRENADA Wednesday March 14,2007 by Lloyd Noel Across the Caribbean to-day, it seems that the more talk and even action we hear and see from those in authority of our public affairs - it is the more chaos and confusion and dis-unity that always result. And every time we get another shocker, that leaves us thinking this is the limit, not very long afterwards there comes yet another - that put the former limitation in the shade and leave us in more shock and awe. It is as though we have an inborn capacity to do very strange and baffling things, make decisions that often times defy logic and common sense, and issue official statements that more often than not leave the listener even more confused and disturbed then he was before hand. And no matter what is said by people on the outside, or however badly the people on the inside are affected and even tainted - by the tantrums and recklessness of those who are entrusted with the solemn responsibility and authority, to lead their people in the straight and narrow pathways of honesty, integrity, and acceptable morality - those public trustees seem to carry on regardless. And the sadness of our confused situation, is that the same powers-that-be take all kinds of very stringent and drastic actions, against the lesser mortals in the same Society that they have been mis-leading and mis-representing for years with impunity. It must be very bewildering and disturbing, to those who are taking the time out to assess the situation. Just look, for example, at the barrage of unkind and insulting remarks coming out of the recent impasse - between the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Sir Allen Stanford - over some dis-agreement about increased land development in the Twin-Island State. Only a few month ago Antigua was in the forefront of Caribbean and the wider Cricket-loving International news - all because of the huge local investment in Cricketing facilities, and the sponsorship in Millions of U.S. dollars, by the same Stanford who is an American but adopted Antigua as his home. You mean to tell me, that the Prime Minister, who is supposed to be the diplomat and concerned about his people’s welfare, could not find less harsh and derogatory words to address the matter. Of course he is the representative of the people - but without investments from the Stanfords of the financial market place, how would he satisfy his people’s needs? The beneficial interests of the people are paramount, and stooping to conquer in their interest and welfare - is neither submission nor a sell-out of their assets - but merely an alternative tactic or strategy, to achieve the same results and keep everyone satisfied and united. And as we move to the very much wealthier, and far more financially independent Twin-Island State of Trinidad and Tobago - the picture and the problems take on much larger and deeper proportions, that stand to adversely affected all our CARICOM States. And it is not just the business of Trinidad and Tobago . The Independence of the Judiciary, the Separation of Powers between The Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary - all in the context of our closely knitted and racially inter-mingled pot-pouri of inhabitants in the Region - cannot be seen or taken in isolation, any one State from the others in the group. And because Trinidad and Tobago is by far the most financially able and self-sufficient in our midst - we have to be concerned, and they have a responsibility to lead by example, quite separate and apart from being the financial Capital of the Region, as well as being the biggest buyer and seller of goods and services regionally. Against that background, the happenings surrounding the treatment being meted out to Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma, is nothing short of disgraceful, highly un-ethical, deeply lacking of honesty, integrity, and due regard and respect for the high office of Chief Justice - and in my humble opinion, all centred around the disgusting premise of the racial divide between Indians and Negroes in Trinidad and Tobago. And in a State where that division of the two races is almost nearly equal in numbers, but in terms of Financial power and wealth, the Indian Community by far outweighs the Negroes, the imbalance does not augur too well for future peace and unity. And in addition to the fermenting and highly explosive racial divide, of the already very corrupt and un-trust-worthy political double dealings, this only stand to make bad matters even much worse. In a Country where the worst type of Criminal activities are way out of bounds, and the Executive simply have no answer to the ever-escalating break-down of Law and Order; the same Executive, with the very obvious input of the political directorate, set out to humiliate the Chief Justice by openly accusing him of a very serious Criminal offence - with the connivance of another Judicial Officer, Magistrate Mc Nicolls, as the main accuser. Those guys allowed the matter to go all the way to London, and in their zeal to destroy the Indian Chief Justice, they even fooled the Privy Council that they had a serious case to bring down the man - so the Privy Council fell for their tomfoolery. The Chief Justice was arrested as a common Criminal and brought before another Magistrate to be Charged and Bailed. And so the case began - only for the main accuser to then indicate to his accomplice in deceit, that he was not prepared to give Evidence in the case; and so the Executive offered No Evidence and the Chief Justice was then discharged and allowed to leave the Court. I sincerely hope his Lawyers will be seeking exemplary damages for wrongful and malious prosecutions against the State. But now the rumour is, that the same defaulting Magistrate has indicated that he is willing to give Evidence in Impeachment proceedings that has been started by the same Prime Minister as head of the Executive. I can just imagine how those Law Lords in London must be making fun of these Jokers in Trinidad and Tobago who are posing as Politicians - as well as the Lawyers in Government Service who are doing the Government’s bidding. But of even greater importance, how could the same Government hope to make a dent in the bad Criminal records they have helped to create, when they behave with that measure of utter dis-regard and open callousness, for a son of the soil who has achieved the highest level of his chosen profession? What kind of messages are they sending to the Criminals and Kidnappers in their midst, on the one hand - and to the rest of the CSME group who have entrusted their Court’s headquarters to their City? Where else, but in the Colonies where backwardness still abound, can we find such slavish mentality from Leaders who are supposed to have been emancipated nearly two Centuries ago? They breed their Criminal elements, who lose all respect for law and order and those who are supposed to be enforcing the rule of law - and then export them to our mini-States, where our system is so open and trusting and vulnerable, and we calling that madness “Free Movement of Labour and People” - towards eventual integration of the Region. It all looks and sounds to me, like a whole scale return to “Massa days” - which we thought was done. When President George Bush does anything out of the ordinary in Washington D. C., or Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, or any of the Leaders in Canada, or Australia, or any European Union State that affect us in these parts - we hearing all kinds of statements from our Leaders. I suppose what took place in Port-of-Spain last week must be the internal affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, and our same Leaders cannot comment, because that would be interferrence in the Trinidadians private business. What hypocrisy!! Of course, we have our own kinds of inconsistencies in the smaller States, when it comes to the Judiciary, and the problems created thereby remain a closed shop issue, among the Leaders. Those Leaders created their own convention, when it comes to selecting a Chief Justice of the (OECS) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, that the selection must be unanimous. That is not in the Constitution of the Court, and it is not the democracy practiced in the individual States. But it happens in the Selection of a Chief Justice, and allows any one Prime Minister who has an issue with a prospective candidate, to block his/her rise to the highest position on the Bench. Madness in my view. It is all those very crucial aspects, of our systems as a whole, that always make me wonder aloud - when those same Leaders try to push the CCJ down our throats, and with bold faces tell us that it is the last aspect to complete our total Independence from England and Colonialism. It is as though they are telling us, that the only way to show they are in charge and the new rulers - is to repeat some of the oppressive conditions from which our people were emancipated so long ago. A case of “forward never, but backward ever.” But to get away from those negatives, that seem to follow us around the Islands these past few years in particular - CWC 2007 gave us in the Caribbean a golden opportunity to make amends, and in my humble opinion we took it with both hands at Trelawney in Jamaica last Sunday. The C.E.O. Chris Dehring, and others around him, have been saying that this World Cup will be the best ever held - anywhere in the Cricketing Countries Worldwide. It seemed like an idle boast every time I heard it - but from the performance at the Opening Ceremony last Sunday, I am sure, beyond any doubt, that the WICB and the Local Organising Committees (LOCs) are well on the road to achieving that well deserved boastful statement. Everything was so well organised, and executed, and suited to the occasion, that the two billion viewers expected Worldwide must have been glued to their T/V Screens for the entire performance. From the very opening remarks by Chris Dehring himself, through the welcome to the Caribbean by our own Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell on behalf of the Political directorate, to that of Prime Minister Portia Miller on behalf of the people of Jamaica - all the way to the last song of “One Love” and the display of the National Flags of the Venue States, it was truly the best Opening Ceremony for Cricket World Cup, ever. If only the other venues, can come up to even half-way of the Jamaican standard set last Sunday, for the rest of the CWC 2007, it will surely be the best ever. And need I say, that if our Selectors behave as representing One Caribbean, and select the team on merit, and West Indies were to win the World Cup on home soil - the deeper Message to our Politicians will be truly sent, with hope and vision for the future. We dearly need a United Caribbean, with One Vision for the future; supported by One Love for lasting Peace and Unity - then the Message will be truly sent.