Executive President — over my dead body
THE EDITOR: At a recent meeting with his constituents, Patrick Manning expressed his wish to be an Executive President, concurring with Basdeo Panday’s stated desire for the same. Manning argued that we became independent, and then a republic, and "the next logical step is for an Executive President." Neither Panday nor Manning explained their logic, but my own logic tells me that Manning and Panday are the two best reasons for rejecting an Executive Presidency for TT. Most Trinbagonians will think of Bush, Clinton and Kennedy as Executive Presidents. But the American president under the US constitution, is different to that under the "African" type constitutions, which I suspect is what Manning wants. If so, he will be putting Trinidad and Tobago in the same company as Zimbabwe, Uganda, Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Cameroon, Sierra Leon, Kenya, Namibia, Gambia, Ghana, Pakistan, Mozambique, Sri Lanka — countries which by and large have not been noted for good democratic governments. Nigeria and Cyprus have US style constitutions, where Members of Parliament cannot be ministers, nor can ministers be MPs. The president as in the US chooses his ministers, who all lose their jobs if the president loses office. This explains the compulsion in many African states, for the executive president and his non-elected ministers to hold on to their jobs at any cost, with the consequent diminishing of democratic values. To change to an executive president requires constitutional changes, but no White Paper explaining this logic has been published or justifying the additional powers that he wants. But just as Manning proposed to take over the Red House, with the advice of an un-named Canadian, but without consulting the people of Trinbago, he now wants to be executive president without consulting the people. Put simply, Manning wants to dump President Max Richards, and assume the powers now entrusted to the president by our constitution. But what do Trinbagonians want? I warn my fellow citizens, that an executive president in my lifetime will be a damning tragedy. With a population of one billion, and 18 official languages, India is still the world’s largest democracy, an independent Republic since 1948, and finding no logic yet for an executive president. For countries with cultures as diverse as India and Trinidad and Tobago, there is merit in having a non-political head of state, without a balisier tie around his neck. MICHAEL J WILLIAMS Maracas Valley
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"Executive President — over my dead body"