I wish to make it clear – that what we want from this liberation that we achieved on July eighth, is not a society based on division. What we want, and must strive vigorously to achieve, is a society founded in co-operation, shared responsibility, and mutual recognition of dignity. Those achievements must then be the basis for summoning every body to work together for the common good; because all will benefit commonly together – for the common good; because all will benefit commonly together – because all have to put out of themselves to make the benefits come through. Having said the above, however, I am also very, very conscious that to achieve even the first step of co-operation is a major hurdle in itself, and the others cannot be tackled unless and until that first step is in place. The shell shock experienced by the losers and their supporters – from the night of July eighth when the initial results showed that the desired change was a reality – rather than eased up with the passage of time, have become more chronic to the point where the denial has taken roots. And those roots have a double-edged effect that appears outwardly like a razor blade – in that those supporters in and out of the public service structure, seem to be taking the licks in their strides, but just below the surface all kinds of below-the-belt operations are actively taking place to derail the liberation train on the move. Let no one be fooled by the apparent quietness now lazily blowing around in the atmosphere; behind the scenes, the daggers are out in their numbers and the disgruntled mobsters are merely waiting, and even helping to create the necessary un-settled conditions, before they make their moves to undermine and topple the new structure to cause chaos and confusion. And that is why I cannot understand the slowness, or the reluctance of the powers-that-be, to take far more active and deliberate steps to re-structure and re-direct the public service in the interest of the people who voted for change. Having changed the balance of power in Parliament, and by extension removed those Ministers who were running the system down to the ground – with the active help and assistance of the top echelon of the public service, for one reason or another – that in itself does not, and cannot, bring about the needed changes to make any significant difference to the crazy system. True enough – a number of persons who were here for carnival last year, and are back again this year, they have been saying to me – from their observations in the post election atmosphere they are experiencing – that the place feels lighter, the air feels freer, the personal contacts with people seems more relaxed and friendlier, as though things have really changed. And in a general sort of public relation exercise, for people who come and go for short periods, and do not really get down into the nitty gritty of looking behind the scenes – it is easy to agree with their on-the-surface impressions. And even for some people who live here for years, but have not been taking any in-depth interest in the happenings to do with politics and Government activities – they too can feet that way. But in truth and in fact the above impression is like a mirage. The delusion that the atmosphere creates, stems from the initial shock that things have really changed, and in the times ahead any card can play – the pack is wide open. The concern, however, of those in the know and on the ground in the thick of things – and who have been weathering the storm for so many fruit-less years – is why the tardiness. People are in positions drawing fat salaries, that stem purely from their political closeness to the last regime. The old rulers have been thrown overboard; the people have spoken loud and very clearly that cannot be mistaken – yet there is this dragging of feet, and the apparent fear to carry out the people’s wishes for meaningful change. Inside information tit-bits, are coming through the grapevine news cast – that some of the dis-carded Ministers have direct phone contact with some of those still running the various Ministries, and if that is so it must mean that serious hanky-panky is under-mining the individual Minister’s authority. The task facing those new guys on the block – after what was known to have taken place before, and over all those years of not keeping or publishing accurate or any reports of substance – is formidable enough without more. When the un-knowns, or hidden extra others are eventually and hopefully discovered, the work load will be a mammoth task to overcome. On the one hand, our people should not expect miracle solutions over-night to solve the problems. But on the other hand – if those now in control fail to move quickly and effectively, to bring about the necessary and much needed changes in the system and structure of the Government’s operations – then they will only have themselves to blame for missing the boat. One piece of the stories making the rounds, is that many of those enjoying the remnants of political favours with big and unjustified salaries – they are boasting that they have solid contracts from the last regime and therefore cannot be moved. That has to be political nonsense, and should be put to the test and let the chips fall where they may. Recalling how those guys operated when they controlled everything, nothing they did could be that solid to be beyond change in the public interest. In the same vein of political largess – to their supporters and cronies who contributed large donations to the party funds – many, if not all, of those contracts for the sale of land and other Government properties; and those so-called investment deals that virtually gave away the people’s legacy for peanuts to the Treasury, but hefty kick-backs to those then in control. These and those must be re-visited in the public interest and dealt with accordingly. Some of those Contracts of sale of the people’s property were actually made weeks before the Election date was announced, and even after the announcement. Where the decision to sell was a Cabinet decision, they are collectively responsible – and where it was a particular Minister doing his/her own thing, then he/she must be exposed to John Public as such. To do nothing about those very suspect deals and so-called Contracts – and allow them to be honoured as though everything was above board and satisfied the acceptable standards – would be equivalent to giving them the new Government’s political blessings and legal status to carry on regardless. And the natural fall-out from such in-action, and failure to let justice be done and be seen to being done – is that when actively trying to bring the run-away criminal situation under control, as against the younger folks and the less privileged in our society – that would clearly look as though there is one form or kind of (in) justice for the privileged few, and a quite discriminating kind for those less fortunate in our midst. Another possible negative response to any such in-action, or failure to let justice be seen to be done – is that those institutions that the Government must, in the short or long term, go to for relief of one sort or another to be able to manage the huge national debt now facing the people and Country – they would be watching to see how the wrong-doings with the people finances have been dealt with, before deciding to give any further or other help. And that is a very reasonable re-action – because if you the new-comers, by your apparent tolerance of such gross wrong-doing as have been documented over the years – then you definitely do not deserve any assistance, to bail you out from the financial doldrums that you have inherited and are tolerating without more. I must add here, that a lot of the sentiments expressed above are shared by a sizeable number of Grenadians who voted for change – and many have been sharing their views with me on the matter, so it is not just this writer complaining or being impatient. But since the Elections have come and gone, and now the Carnival over and done with for another year – what next? For certain, the problems, and short-comings, and endless work to be done, in trying to get out of the quagmire we find ourselves fully surrounded by – these would not go away by wishful thinking or prayers alone. And this is where the same resolve, and determination, and commitment, and love for country and people – must all come to the forefront to unite us as a single unit, in order to overcome the heavy odds we face. The politicians and the Government cannot do it alone – we all have to put our backs to the wheel, if we are ever going to get out of that sinking sand which surrounds us. By Lloyd Noel (Atorney-at-law) Inside Grenada News