By Lloyd Noel

The political scenario in the Region now-a-days, and the happenings in our own backyard in these Spice Isles, must be sending out the message that we are into, or on the road to trying times ahead.

Although some could validly argue, that we are always facing trying times in these parts - when it comes down to our political behaviour and public utterances - but it cannot be doubted, that we ever so often even surpass our own lofty heights of political blunders.

And from all appearances, as I survey the emerging patterns of the political picture that is facing us squarely in the eyes, I am getting the
very disturbing feelings that we are on the road to another such period of alarming political consequences.

As we listened to the shocking news coming out of our Trinidad and Tobago Kith and Kin front yard - pertaining to another alleged judicial scandal,
involving the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice and the President of the Nation State - it must make us all wonder aloud about the fate of our
CARICOM Region, and the road map we are following towards that dreamland of Regional Unity and Integration.

We are again hearing of Judicial interference and hanky-panky, in the celebrated case of the Ex-Prime Minister Basdeo Panday - who was recently
convicted and jailed for failing to disclose English Bank Accounts to the Integrity Commission.

And while the first Inquiry is still pending, amid very high level legal challenges by the Chief Justice, the Prime Minister is seeking his
resignation or requesting the President to set up another Inquiry, into the Chief Justice’s alleged involvement in the Magistrate Court Case pertaining to Panday.

Whoever is right or wrong in that political scenario, it is without any doubt centered around the racial tensions that have plagued Trinidad and
Tobago for decades. But what is so sad in the current impasse, is that the brawling and in-fighting have moved dramatically - from the ranks of the Indian Sugar Cane Workers and the Oilfield Negro Workers of the old days, to the highest levels of the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice in the political arena.When our richest and most prosperous State in the proposed Union is
embroiled at that level in such scandal, where does it leave minions like us in the OECS?

And talking about where we are vis-à-vis the CSM(E), we have not been informed by our Legislators, Government or Opposition, about the State of
preparedness to join the Movement come June thirtieth, as was agreed in Jamaica in January. But then again, since everything is now geared towards CWC 2007 and all it implies - I do not suppose we will be ready in time for end of June this year.

In the same context of judicial utterances, and or taking liberties with judicial officials because of one’s political position - we have yet to hear
a single public statement from the powers-that-be, regarding the outbursts by their Legal Advisor Hugh Wildman, against Justice Davidson Baptiste and his decision in the JLSC matter involving the said Wildman for Attorney General. Nor has anything been said about his castigation of the same Government he advises, on its decision to sign up for joining the CCJ, as a replacement for the Privy Council - as our Final Appellate Court.

Yet while those transgressions are crying out for resolutions, the same powers-that-be are loud and clear about the allegations involving the M.P.
of NDC and his Insurance Private Business dealings; as well as the Doctor who is accused of in-appropriate behaviour, in his dealings with a young girl who visited his clinic for Medical Attention.

The Insurance dealings by that M.P. was investigated by a Committee set up by the NDC Executive/Political Leader, and that Committee has since reported its findings; the Leader of the Opposition has stated publicly that certain
irregularities were discovered in the dealings by the M.P., but nothing amounting to fraud - as was initially publicised. According to the Opposition Leader, the NDC is standing by its M.P. and supporting him.

Having taken part in a public discussion on National T/V with Leslie Pierre - on three topical issues including the M.P.’s Insurance matter - I have since discovered that there were four persons comprising the Committee, and three names were disclosed but not the fourth - and I find that strange to say the least.

I also have some reservations about strictly internal investigations - from the point of view of dispelling possible claims of white wash - so the
presence of an independent person could have gone all the way towards satisfying that claim. The non-disclosure is therefore baffling. But as we try to come to grips with these trying times in the political arena, the actions, omissions, and public statements by those on centre
stage - do not help us in achieving our goals.

We have all been well aware that in the ‘Brief Case’ Commission of Inquiry, the matter had been held up since the June Sitting last year - pending the High Court action for Judicial Review brought by the Leader of the Opposition.

The decision was given in April and costs awarded against the Government in the sum of $25,000.00. We all expected the Government people to Appeal
against the decision. Yet the Prime Minister in the U.S.A. earlier this month, is reported to have told a public forum - that to all intents and purposes the Commission of Inquiry is finished.

Then last week Wednesday/Thursday, the Commission’s Counsel, Dr. Fenton Ramsahoye, revealed that he had Appealed against the initial Ruling of the Judge in January/February this year, on the preliminary issue of jurisdiction - and he had further Appealed against the Final decision, with both Appeals destined to be heard together sometime in the future.He further confirmed that the Inquiry is on hold pending the outcome of
those Appeals - at which time the Governor General can simply extend the life of the said Inquiry.

Now the Government is paying Dr. Ramsahoye for those Appeals, so are we to understand that for the kind of fees that high profile Counsel commands, the Prime Minister did not know that his Government was footing the costs for the same Inquiry that he said was all over? Somebody put a hand!!

Then we had the President of the Senate, at his second Sitting in the Upper House a week or so ago, flexing his muscles in an attempt to bridle the Opposition and Independent Senators from questioning Government Ministers in the Senate, when those Ministers make statements in that House.
He apparently ruled, or tried to, that before any questions can be put to those Ministers, the said questions must be presented to him in writing for
his approval - so as to determine their relevance.

I fail to see why he cannot determine a question’s relevance that is asked orally, soon after the Minister has made his/her presentation in the House. If the Minister is talking, for example, abut the matter involving the Sale of land in the Belmont area in St. George, to some Foreign Company for whatever the planned development maybe; a question to the Minister, about
the reported scheme to promote a number of Police Officers - who do not meet the required standards for promotion - would be irrelevant at that point in time; and it does not need to be in writing to produce that ruling.

Now if the President had ruled, that Ministers must submit their proposed Statements to all members of the House, in ample time before the Sitting, and the Members must also submit their questions to him, in advance of the
day of the Sitting -I am sure the members would have seen justification for his ruling. But to jump out of the already suspicious bag of ulterior motives, for the appointment as President of the Senate, and try to lay down that high-handed ruling - is tantamount to adding grave insult to gross political injury, in my opinion; and that can only heap more and more dis-repute, on the
Honorable Upper House of the Peoples’ Parliament that should be above reproach.

Like the claim by the Prime Minister, that Grenada stands to make Millions of dollars in profit - from the Six World Cup Matches to be held in Grenada next year April. Discounting the cost of re-building the Stadium, on the assumption that the Chinese are picking up the entire expenditure for their nationals wages, as well as the wages for the Grenadians working on the Project, and all materials costs - including Cement, Gravel, Sand, Stones and whatever other local materials that may be used. We are nevertheless incurring costs that
we would never have even considered - for the types of Projects being undertaken, that are solely and wholly required of us to become CWC 2007 ready to hosts those games.

There is no way we could ever recover those costs, from those Six Matches and any number of stay over Visitors that may come for the occasion. And
bearing in mind that the Prime Minister himself is also saying, that we would need Tourist Ships to anchor in the harbor to house Visitors for the
occasion; since we do not have, and cannot make the necessary provisions in the time available, enough rooms to accommodate even Fifteen hundred
Visitors.

So clearly the emphasis must be on selling whatever we have as Tourists attraction- including our friendliness and peaceful good will and generous welcome - to influence the Cricket visitors to come back again and encourage
others to join them, based on how well they were received and treated.And no one should be mistaken about the impact our local political
gymnastics can have on visitors and prospective visitors. People from democratic Countries in Europe and the Americas, they like to feel that they are safe and in stable conditions when they travel overseas on vacation. So what is said and done - in the name of democracy and People’s rights and freedoms - can influence them one way or another.

These politically trying times we are going through are not in our best Tourist Sector interest, and those in control must take some time out to set the records straight and put us back on course to better times ahead.