Rambharat, that doesn’t taste good

Now I have no problem with the ole mas and the picong. But when a minister who sits on a committee enquiring into the financial expenditure of the Office of the President, of which the purchase of wine has been made an issue, displays such a sign, the echoes of bias will resonate and also conflict of interest.

The tricky thing about actual/ real bias is that the test is not about fairness but rather the perception that one may not be fair.

What has made matters worse is that a copy of the “offensive” photograph has been pasted on the Facebook wall of a known “antagonist” of President Anthony Carmona together with another photograph featuring Minister Rambharat’s wife, the “antagonist” and others. There is also a reverberating hint of insinuation here – birds of a feather… The Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament is presently looking into expenditure at the Office of the President. The PAAC is chaired by House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George and its members include Government ministers Maxie Cuffie, Rambharat and Ayanna Webster-Roy; MPs Nicole Olivierre (PNM) and Lackram Bodoe (UNC) and senators Wade Mark (UNC), Dhanayshar Mahabir (Independent) and Daniel Dookie (PNM).

Whichever way you look at it, Rambharath’s J’Ouvert sign was inappropriate and a semblance of irresponsibleness is triumphing.

In the circumstances, Rambharat must do the honourable thing and recuse yourself from the committee. In default, the chair must act.

Dr Robert Williams via email