gmmalex@yahoo.com

Stepping out of the crease

• PNM freshmen face the music. Or not.
• Country awaits return of Man-ning to start the people’s business.
• Where COP fell down—by party officials.

Some were able to get close on the issues. Others seemed to feel distance was good.

Manning’s front line—and freshmen—ministers debuted this week with a number of challenges in various sectors.

But of course it was nothing new for those like National Security Minister Martin Joseph.

If Joseph was returned to the ministry because he was already acquainted with the portfolio, his statements on Tuesday seemed to belie that he was all that much in touch.

Joseph in that ministry was generally known to call a spade such. (He lacked recourse anyway.)

However Tuesday’s admission that he may have “underestimated” the extent of work at the ministry and the length of time it required, has amply loaded up the ammunition supply trained his way which usually comes with this portfolio.

And started Joseph off on the wrong foot in his second term.

Nor has his confirmation of “an extremely wide gap” (sic) between crime levels and the police’s coping ability done much to reinforce conviction that his last term was as well spent to the public’s benefit as his administration may think.

Much less for boosting the effort to bring Government any closer to the public, where trust is concerned.

Joseph’s optimistic (though mangled) interpretation of the colloquialism, promising “light” at some point or other of the proverbial “tunnel,” is unlikely to inspire any more confidence than its previous versions did last term.

More likely, he may be warned in response about the possibilities of said “tunnel” caving in along the way.

While some are giving Joseph the “honeymoon” his boss requested of the media, the team of central, south and eastern business entities formed in July to monitor crime, met Monday to formulate suggestions for Joseph, spokesman Ameer Mohammed said.

The groups involve six of the Group of 21 business team, formed in the height of the crime crisis and which became dormant in April.

Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George may have achieved a tad more in terms of an anti-crime deterrent with her hint of future hangings.

However, she backed off queries on the dangers of witness protection programmes, borrowing Joseph’s five-year old-line on crime (“It happens worldwide”).

And Education Minister Esther Le Gendre, who preferred not to get close to reporters’ questions on Thursday, now has not only the issue of the alleged worm-infested school lunches (which she was ducking), but also her linebacker style exit to ponder.

Le Gendre might have taken a cue from the more experienced Pennelope Beckles, who, at the same function, faced up to reporters’ queries about her new Parliament role.

While Health Minister Jerry Narace had happier circumstances in which to debut following the return of abducted new-born Jeremiah Henry, he also decided against being questioned on that—or any other issue—adopting the same low profile he employed as PNM public relations officer.

Narace continues in the latter post until PNM’s annual convention in a year, Balisier House reiterated.

However, Princes Town South MP Peter Taylor, now a minister in the capital and though far removed from his constituents’ heated protests on Thursday, took his baptism of fire calmly, acknowledging the area’s problems.

Poor PNM track

record on queries

With the absence of a post-Cabinet media conference, there was little opportunity for clarification of questions arising from the developments.

Briefings are as much on hold as Parliament’s opening—both apparently at Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s convenience.

Neither Opposition nor Government can start on the people’s business until Manning returns from Uganda. And how much of a serious start can be achieved in the festive Christmas period is iffy.

While Annisette-George is yet to announce Government’s legislative agenda, the Opposition’s contribution so far has been a mix of intimidating noises and admissions of constraint.

Under parliamentary procedure, the Opposition cannot initiate legislation or raise matters apart from its entitlement of tabling questions for Government to answer, listing issues for debate at the monthly private members’ day session and via Opposition members’ participation in committees.

An Opposition member also chairs the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee.

The previous Manning administration slacked off greatly by end of term in answering Opposition questions, a fact lamented weekly by House Speaker Barendra Sinanan, in acknowledging that he could not force Government to answer queries.

Yetming out of COP’s

election review

Differing views in the COP on where the party fell down in the elections will be aired at today’s first of a two-part strategy meeting to chart the way forward.

n Campaign manager Gerry Yetming, who said he isn’t attending today’s session, due to prior engagements, theorised:

“After UNC’s Chaguanas rally, all the UNC members who came to the COP went back to UNC. There were also effects relative to their campaign on the split vote and the false ground propaganda about ‘UNC/COP unity.’”

n COP office manager Bobby Sheppard: “While we reached the middle class and well educated sectors, we didn’t really reach the grassroots. Our marketing didn’t penetrate the target. We spoke to the ground level coming up, but our message got lost along the way. We also presented a number of wrong personalities as well as the right ones.”

n Lennox Sankersingh: “COP didn’t meet the hearts and minds of the poor and working class. This was more due to the fixation in dealing with policy matters broadly. People wanted explanations and simple issues. COP speakers weren’t scheduled to rebut PNM’s housing policies although Carol Cuffy-Dowlat, myself or Gillian Lucky are qualified in that.”

Mervyn Assam: “We lost nothing since we had nothing. We actually gained knowledge that 148,000 people want us. We could have done things differently in various areas. We didn’t tackle the issues as we should have. We didn’t market our programmes well.”

n John Humphrey: “I wasn’t included in the line-up of speakers by whoever managed the campaign, even though Dookeran told me he wanted me there. I’ve told him our generation of politicians can’t influence things, the only hope is for the youths to plan a Government to unite T&T.

“I suggested to Dookeran that he step aside—but not down—from the post of leader, accept the offer of the Canadian professorship, guide T&T youths there and let Manning and Panday fight it out here. He may have heeded something—I noticed he told members to think of leadership succession.”

n Hulsie Bhaggan: “It’s not that our strategy was weak. We were fighting two old parties which used money and housing programmes to buy votes. We ran a clean campaign. Since we got 148,000 votes and their support shrunk, we’ll continue in our present mode.”

n Bro Michael Samuel: “The biggest problem was we didn’t get through to the grassroots. We must find ways to win the 30 per cent non-voting sector.”

n Sahadeo Boondoo: “Our politics was not made well known to the public. We spent much time dealing with COP’s image, replying to UNC attacks and not all the effective speakers were used. But COP won’t see stagnation. We have much new blood; Dookeran will be 71 by next election.

“I’m not promoting COP/UNC unity but there must be a political business arrangement between both for local government. We don’t have to be friends, but I don’t see why we can’t have more strategic arrangements.”

n Prakash Ramadhar: “People voted UNC out of fear. But I think we touched all sectors including the grassroots.”

n Timothy Hamel-Smith: “COP’s marketing hit a trough in the last week of campaigning. Mobilisation for national meetings should also have been of the scope that it was for COP’s Red event.”

n Ganga Singh: “We must recognise T&T’s political reality, that the tribalism is fuelled by money and exploited politically. Change is needed through campaign financing law.”

n Manohar Ramsaran: “We didn’t really ‘sell’ our manifesto, we responded to dirty attacks, but it didn’t impact opponents. We should have shot down Panday’s attacks.”

n Nirad Tewarie: “Many factors affected us , some within our control, some beyond.”