I seem unable to resist the compulsion to revisit for the benefit of your readership the prophetic words (thanks to Newsday) penned by loyalist Trinbagonian Mr Justice Deyalsingh prior to the December 10 elections. I will allow his Cassandra-like words to speak for themselves with minimum intervention.

On the First Indian PM on October 2 he said:
"What has Basdeo Panday done with all the good-will that greeted him as the First Indian Prime Minister?...The Prime Minister's noble idea of National Unity has now become ensnared in the view that he is an autocrat who is to be closely watched. Despite his good intentions, the Prime Minister has dug a pit for himself..."

On October 2 the learned Judge had this to say on corruption:
"They see with their own eyes the leadership institutionalising and even legitimising corruption and trying like magicians to tell them that what they see is not what they see. They see the leadership fraternising with corrupt men. They see thieves riding high with all the trappings of success, being shamelessly admitted into the highest strata of society. They begin to wonder whether they should lower their standards and join the Ali Baba and his forty thieves who are riding high."

The learned Judge continued:
"By his inaction to deal with corruption. The Prime Minister is again becoming his own worst enemy and is wrecking his vision of a country which values integrity in Government."

On the future he wrote:
"And, there are enough honest people in TT, and in the marginal seats in particular, who are fed up with all that is happening that they may well decide to make their vote in the next election, a vote against corruption by voting for the opposition. After all is said and done, it is government which lose elections, not the opposition that wins them.
"The greatest tragedy of all, and for all of us, however, is witnessing this admired son of the soil who is Basdeo Panday, slowly destroying with his own hands the dreams for which he has fought so long, and with them, himself."

On the future of the UNC Justice Deyalsingh predicted on October 21:
"He tried to halt the change which was bringing about the emergence of new people into the power circle of the UNC.

What is distressing is that in his attempt to stop the process of change, he will bring about the ruin of the UNC (if he has not already done so) and with the UNC himself. The UNC, the only present alternative to the PNM is witnessing the setting of its own sun at the hands of its Leader. In both these matters- the National Executive elections and corruption - the PNM sat at the head of the table and held in his hands the cards to play, which would have united his party and hung the Jack of the corruptors. He played the wrong card and has plunged his Party members and sympathisers into a state of agony and distress."
He continued:

"We blush in shame for them. We are sorry to see what they are doing to themselves. But above all, we are sorry to see what the PM has done to himself. But he should walk softly because it is the heart of a disenchanted people which topples a king from his throne in good time."
Mr Deyalsingh's advice to us was: "After all it is we who elect them to office and we elect them to serve our needs and our interests, not their interests and the interests of their financiers and supporters.

They are our servants... and if they do not perform... then we fire them at the next elections. Our politicians will learn very fast that they cannot play the fool with the powers of government...This power to fire is the power we have and we must not wait until it is too late to use it." Mr Justice Deyalsingh has spoken and spoken prophetically well. Thanks be to His Lordship!

STEPHEN