About crime talks and bobolees

Kamla Persad-Bissessar was much more forthright. She said, quite frankly, things are moving slowly, nothing about the administration of justice, legislation cannot do the job, etc, etc.

The fact is the vast amount of laws we already have, in and out of the Police Service and in and out of the Police Service Commission, these laws have become just "bobolees," to fudge a judicial source.

It is really political shadow-boxing to be pouring more laws upon one another without calling to public accountability those officials and agencies who have not been using the existing laws and procedures efficiently and effectively. And the way these "crime talks" seem to be going nowhere fast, the public is entitled to ask: What really is all this "crime talks" hullabaloo about? It is really amazing how the media too, especially the print ones, show so much front page excitement, so much dramatic graphics, about these "crime talks," leaving us to wonder if they know something that the rest of the population have not caught on yet. As the old lady in the hamburger ad asked: Where is the beef?

I too was once optimistic about a joint approach, that is a politically bipartisan approach to framing certain crime policies. But I must also add that the present political circumstances, newsworthy as they may be, are not conducive to any genuine bipartisanship. And worse yet, within this feverish adversarial Westminster system we, with great suffering, insist on keeping without adjustment.

Around the civic corner, we also have Keith Noel Committee activist Stephen Cadiz wondering that since his death march and over 300 "corpses," government action on crime looks well, just as dead. The PNM and the UNC, is it really the same khaki pants, as my lawyer friend keeps telling me? I really hate to think so.

Meanwhile the Chamber of Commerce and the other "nineteen business groups," struggling to say something hopeful and respectable, call on Government, for the millionth time, to "do something about crime, to catch the criminals, to buy more equipment, etc, etc, etc. So tune in again, next two months for more of the same thing, and all this without any threat, any ultimatum, of a "business shutdown."

The real reason for writing, however, is to draw public attention to two very serious matters, both of which directly concern our crime rate and the need for public accountability. When the Caricom Prime Ministers were here last week, our own Prime Minister made an electrifying call for governments to be "accountable and transparent." Well, indeed, I was shocked. Why? Because about a week before, January 30 to be exact, three Independent Senators had written him what looked like a very thoughtful, respectful letter, outlining the areas for quick, practical parliamentary reforms and asking that he, as PM, take urgent steps to strengthen the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee system to help ensure fuller public accountability and transparency in how government agencies, especially the Police and the Service Commissions, are spending taxpayers money and serving the public. After all, a man, especially a Prime Minister, should put his money where his mouth is. But assuming, just assuming, that this long-serving, astute Prime Minister is also a "dictator" who dislikes accountability, what about the Opposition and the Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday?

Will he be more responsive to the matter of public accountability? Or is it the same khaki pants, as the man-in-the street is now thinking. The three Independent Senators, Mary King, Parvatee Anmolsingh-Mahabir and myself, sent the same letter to Mr Panday — about two weeks ago.

Now assuming, just assuming, Mr Dookeran has more clout than Panday, assuming Dookeran has about more integrity than Panday, we were not taking any chances. We sent the letter to Mr Dookeran too, asking him, like we asked both Messrs Manning and Panday, to put this matter on their "crime talks" agenda because of its direct bearing on public accountability by the Police Service, the Police Service Commission and other related agencies. Kamla Persad-Bissessar is right. Strengthen the administration and Parliament too for accountability.

So what is the position now with all this civic intervention by three senators? Is it the same khaki pants the population is torturously facing with this serious matter of public accountability and transparency? Are we making that fatal mistake by talking about this in public?

Neither Manning nor Panday has replied. And hear this one about transparency. About two years ago, both houses of Parliament unanimously approved a motion calling for all proceedings of Parliament to be broadcast live, for deepening our democracy, removing massive political ignorance etc, etc. The latest is that in November last year, the Cabinet approved the policy, but decided that ‘committee meetings’ will not be broadcast live." What! Who gave the Cabinet the authority to reject a decision by the entire Parliament? What is the government afraid of? We raised this matter in our letter too, asking the PM in particular, to retract that Cabinet decision. So far we have heard nothing from either the government or the opposition team. Talk about governance and respect. Maybe they are too busy struggling very hard for accountability, transparency and better government. Put a hand.

PROFESSOR RAMESH DEOSARAN

Independent Senator