‘Prez’ survives 1st year in Office

LAST week, His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards marked his first year in office. The public has become used to the image of the President as a man who likes to socialise and was known for organising the popular all-inclusive fetes at the University of the West Indies and at the grounds of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre. Even in his role as President, the former campus Principal of the University of the West Indies still enjoyed himself among the ordinary citizenry. He abandoned the Grand Stand where accommodation is provided for dignitaries to enjoy the Panorama semi-finals in the North Stand. On Carnival, the President and First Lady Dr Jean Richards, danced and pranced in the band Poison along with their daughter Maxine. But he has not taken his new office lightly and has used his position to lobby the cause of the disabled, for racial harmony and education as a cornerstone of development.

President Richards did not receive unanimous support from the Electoral College (comprising members of the House of Representatives and Senate) when he was proposed for the post by the ruling People’s National Movement. He received 43 votes while the other candidate proposed by the United National Congress, Ganace Ramdial, received 25 when voting took place. In an interview from his home in Maracas on February 14 — the day he was elected, the new President sought to allay concerns that he had a political bias. He described himself as  apolitical and “in nobody’s pocket.” Questions about his impartiality as a President stemmed from his name being put forward by the PNM for the position of Speaker of the House in the 2001 Crowne Plaza Accord when the UNC and PNM sought to reach a compromise after the 18-18 deadlock in the General Election. On January 28, 2003, prior to his nomination as President, Richards was reappointed as Chairman of the Salaries Review Commission by then President Arthur NR Robinson following the advice of Prime Minister Manning. It was during his tenure in 2002 that pay increases were recommended for the President, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and other top officials.

Unlike his predecessors, Sir Ellis Clarke, Arthur NR Robinson and Noor Hassanali, the fourth President of TT  did not have a background in law. Richards a Chemical Engineer and educator, did not regard this as a disadvantage and said: “I believe that any professionally trained person is able to make an objective assessment of things.” He was already familiar with the Constitution but admitted “one has to have some kind of legal counsel.” At his inauguration on March 17, he declared his political independence and highlighted those areas of particular concern to him — unemployment, poverty, education, and harmony among the races. Showing that he was not afraid to speak candidly on issues he considers relevant, the President  expressed the view that successive governments had not invested adequately in education and training. His assertion: “I’m just a red nigger who loves the sea, I had a sound colonial education, I have Dutch, nigger and English in me. And either I am nobody or I’m a nation” from Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott’s “Schooner Flight” provoked debate. In the same speech, His Excellency also stated his intention to “get closer to communities and in their settlements.” 

President Richards’ first task in his new role was the appointment of temporary senators on March 22. On March 26, he attended his first official engagement — the opening of the National Library Complex. Things should have gone smoothly but in a breach of protocol, the Prime Minister and other Ministers left their seats to unveil the commemorative plaque apparently forgetting the President and his wife. His Excellency followed shortly after but fell while ascending the stairs of the Amphitheatre. He was assisted by other guests and went on to carry on his official duties as if nothing happened. The President subsequently received an apology. The apparent divisiveness between the two major ethnic groups is a cause for concern for the President. “I feel that I have an obligation to do whatever is in my power to alleviate that,” he told Newsday on the day he was elected. At the Indian Arrival dinner hosted by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha on May 29, the President expressed concern about the implications of statements from political commentators and said the two major ethnic groups in TT were “more polarised than ever before.” He announced the formation of a committee to deal with race relations.

On August 12 President Richards launched the Committee for National Self Discovery. His Excellency said race will not be the main focus of the group which is chaired by Independent Senator Prof Kenneth Ramchand. Its mandate is to promote knowledge and understanding among the various ethnicities and to devise strategies for transmitting that knowledge to the national community in a sustained and systematic way over a period of 13 months “in the first instance.” Already the recipient of a national award — the Chaconia Gold medal in 1977, the President received TT’s highest award — the Trinity Cross on August 31, shortly before the National Awards ceremony. This was in keeping with tradition. No one else received the TC for 2003. In September, the President officiated at his first President’s awards ceremony. Nine youths received the President’s medal for the 2002 national scholarships and awards system. Delivering an address, the President acknowledged that exams were a yardstick to measure progress and encourage students to strive for excellence, but said the “spectre of exams” should be removed to make learning more enjoyable.

A land dispute which arose years earlier resurfaced in October 2003, when the President and his wife were sued by her brother, Dennis Ramjohn for breach of contract in a land deal. The President and First Lady filed a defence stating that Ramjohn had breached the agreement of sale of property at Bel Air Gardens, San Fernando. The case is continuing. In the past year, President Richards has been invited by schools, businesses, religious groups to deliver the feature address. He has also been guest at various cultural events. He has carried out the other duties of his office diligently. There is the photograph of His Excellency drenched from head to foot in abeer at the recent Phagwa celebrations, showing himself a man not afraid to mingle and participate. He has stated publicly that he is “Trini to the bone.”

Unlike his predecessor, he has not been embroiled in any controversial decisions and has sought to remain above the cut and thrust of partisan politics. There have been no tests of this stance and time will tell how well he succeeds. Interesting to note is a poll done by the North-American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) in January 2003 which showed growing support for Richards to be TT’s next President. However, respondents were concerned about his political independence and lack of a legal background. Another poll in November found that Richards had the highest positive rating (69 percent) and lowest unfavourable rating (14 percent) among all public figures.