To many it was interesting to see the current Opposition support the swearing in of the new Governor General His Excellency Sir Carlyle Glean. Many also found it interesting that the Leader of the Opposition wrote to the Clerk of Parliament informing him that he will be unable to attend the ceremony since he is scheduled to be out of the island. Many expected the Opposition to behave in the same way the NDC behaved when they were in Opposition. The NDC led a walk out of Parliament to protest the appointment of former Governor General Sir Daniel Williams. They said he was not fit to be a Governor General because he was a supporter and member of the NNP. Despite this we saw Sir Daniel display a high level of professionalism and conducted the affairs of his office without fear or favour. It is therefore true to conclude that what goes around doesn’t always come around. The Opposition could have chosen to walk out on the new Governor General since he too is a former Minister of Government and was a member of the NDC. As it relates to his recent involvement in politics the Opposition will be unable to tell whether or not he was involved since often times the people in the back ground make the greatest contribution. As a responsible Opposition we had no objections to the appointment of Mr. Carlyle Glean as a suitable person for the position of Governor General. We note however that the Government seems to be going back to a number of things it criticized in opposition: Look at the appointment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. They were both members of the NDC and are quite capable of doing the job. Look on the other hand at the persons who held the positions; they were members of the NNP and are both capable of doing the job too. What is the difference? The NDC criticized their appointments saying they were associated with the NNP. It is interesting that the NNP never objected to the appointment of Hon. Joan Purcell and Hon. George Mc Guire both former members of the NDC Government. The absence of the Opposition leader and other members of the Opposition was obvious at the sitting. It shows that the Opposition’s request for consultation when setting dates for sittings of the Houses of Parliament must not fall on deaf ears. We must remember that even if they are only four in number they are legitimately elected to serve those who elected them and that they also have a right to look out for the interest of the Grenadian public. It is clear that the Government has failed in this regard and must take the necessary steps to ensure that this does not happen in the future. Then on the subject of notice, members of the Opposition cannot be issued an invitation a day before a Parliament sitting and then be expected to drop everything and be there. Some may have jobs and others may have business to attend to. There ought to be greater respect for institutions and the government must take the lead. In this context, notice should not have been given by the Government for a meeting of the Finance Committee involving the entire House of Representatives to discuss a subject as important as the budget with the pertinent document prepared by and in the possession of the Government side not yet circulated to the Opposition as late as one day before the meeting. The Opposition cannot be expected to attend for two basic reasons. Firstly, without consultation none of them knew of the meeting and they could all be and are except for one, outside the country. Secondly receiving the documents at most one day before does not afford them the opportunity to make a contribution as is required of them. As one newspaper said it the postponement of the ceremony to swear in the new Governor General was an embarrassment. It is my understanding that persons were inconvenienced by the postponement of the first swearing in ceremony. In one case someone who travelled to Grenada for the occasion had to return. I wish to agree with Dr Francis Alexis when he said this was sloppy behaviour of the part of the new Government. We had weeks notice that the former Governor General was demitting office and the date this was going to happen. While the government says that the reason for the postponement was the late arrival of an instrument of appointment people who are thinking are asking the question: With FEDEX and other means, was there another was to get the instrument to Grenada within 24 hours? Why was the Leader of the Opposition called less than 24 hours with an invitation by telephone? Why did the Prime Minister travel the same morning the ceremony was schedule to take place? Why are we paying so many advisors? Why did the Government refuse to ask Sir Daniel Williams to act one more week rather than leaving the position vacant? Why wasn’t the new Governor General sworn in a private ceremony and then a public ceremony is held after? Why did the Prime Minister choose to leave the island when there was no Head of State? Even if one could understand that they are afraid of the NNP Opposition and Keith Mitchell in particular and are doing all in their power to curtail the Opposition’s participation in the upcoming budget debate yet it sounds like there are more questions than answers! (The above is a perspective of the New National Party. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Inside Grenada News) Inaise Grenada News