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Some advice for PM on probes, reforms
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2002

By Percy Cezair

This is an open letter to Patrick Manning.

At the moment you are a Prime Minister without a Parliament. But sooner than later the UNC and its leader will get the message. That dialogue and compromise are the only options for solving the problem of a non-functioning Parliament.

On your shoulders however rests full responsibility for certain reforms and investigations, and it is up to you to convince the leader of the UNC that this is not a time for elections or to further divide the people, but for co-operation in pursuing those priorities.

In spite of the public huff and puff, give him space and opportunity to retrieve the Crowne Plaza atmosphere if is at all possible. And give recognition to his 18 seats.

In so far as the question of advisors to police investigations into corruption is concerned, ignore criticisms coming from a former colleague, Keith Sobion, the head of the Police Service Commission and former Police Commissioner Jules Bernard.

The records of these three gentlemen could hardly warrant your having to take them seriously. They continue to live in a colonial time warp.

Crime is at its ridiculously high level and discipline and management of the Police Service in its present state of paralysis, simply because in the year 2002 there continues to be the nonsensical belief that a Commissioner of Police must be independent of direction and control from those elected by the people. Fiddlesticks.

The obsolete concessions made by Williams in 1960 in order to appease opposition demands for certain safeguards against political interference has long outlived its usefulness.

Panday and yourself did meet sometime ago on this question. A return to the subject is, therefore, a priority. There is no self-respecting country anywhere in the world today where a government does not control and direct its police forces.

The mayor of New York runs the New York police. The President of the United States is the boss of all federal law enforcement agencies, and the governors of states the state police.

In Canada the Prime Minister and the relevant Ministers decide who will be head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and give direct instructions to that person.

Premiers of provinces appoint and instruct the heads of their provincial police forces and the cities of Montreal and Toronto appoint and direct their own police chiefs.
In other words, politicians appoint and control the police.

What we have is not democracy, but little untouchable fiefdoms. Police forces in T&T are not in the business of trial and conviction. For whatever reason, this is a matter for the independent Judiciary.
The Attorney General's appointment of Maharaj and Hudson-Phillips as advisors to the police cannot therefore be even remotely regarded as such.

So who is little Trinidad and Tobago that those elected by the people must continue to defer to outdated, irrelevant ignorance?

Do not budge on Maharaj and Hudson-Phillips. However, investigations of public officials should not be the only area on which a government should focus.

In T&T there have always been good corporate citizens. But scam and skullduggery are not unknown or absent from the private sector.

Too often bad company behaviour has remained untouchable while too many of our oversight institutions behave like toothless bulldogs in dealing with errant business practices.

One clear example of a case of conflict of interest is when an auditing firm acts as business consultants to the same company.

I note that you are in no hurry to accommodate a demand from the private sector, peculiarly and inappropriately spearheaded by the American Chamber, to you and Mr Panday to either convene Parliament or call an election.

I suggest you regard this unfortunate effrontery as simply the incipient arrogance of money and selfish motives which sometimes afflict some business leaders.

Such individuals cannot act as mediators, since by failing (perhaps by inexperience) to respect the dignity of the Office of Prime Minister they have forfeited any claim to be in such a position or any right to an audience.

My advice to you is to stick strictly to a people's agenda and the UNC will probably fall in line. Submit to Mr Panday propositions on behalf of the people which he politically cannot refuse.

And please do not regard this open letter as being from someone who is in your corner. As a columnist I am in no one's corner. But notwithstanding controversy surrounding your appointment it is your call.

Any measures or decisions which seek to advance the people's interest will be fully supported and appreciated by all those who objectively want the country to succeed.



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