Dangerous democracy

Intellectually, our late Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams was, in my view, a democrat and was probably wedded to democratic notions but, politically and temperamentally he was autocratic to the bone. In fact he developed something of a reputation of the classic “maximum leader.” Persons of Williams’ ilk do not belong to the order of the dove but to the tribe of the tiger. Williams once commented, “Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” That’s, of course, a Shakespearean quote. However, Dr Williams added, “Greatness, Trinidad style, was thrust upon me.”

I have myself surmised that Williams was like the curate’s egg — good in parts — and that the image was far larger than the man. However, Williams was the charismatic figure that has cast such a long shadow that even today an old Laventille man can upbraid his fellow Laventillians to the effect, “De man dead so long and allyu still voting for him.” If you ask me, that fellow Willie was really something else. But the “when-I-speak-no-damn-dog-bark” Williams could move quite easily and credibly from the political “Robber talk” to a measured exposition of his basic perspectives. Some may recall that when Williams tried to give us an idea of how “cabinet” operated he couldn’t resist that quip about Abe Lincoln (half in jest?). Lincoln was once supposed to have told the rest of his Cabinet members, on arriving at a decision, “Gentlemen, as I understand it, you’ve all said ‘Nay.’ My vote is ‘Aye,’ so the Ayes have it.”

On the achievement (if that’s the word) of our Independence, (post one-from-ten-leaves-nought era) Williams exhorted us to “protect and promote” our democracy as our first responsibility. Exhorted Williams, “Democracy means more, much more, than the right to vote and one vote for every man and every woman of the prescribed age. Democracy means recognition of the rights of others.” Much of what Williams said then is perhaps even more relevant today. Williams continued, “Democracy means equality of opportunity for all in education, in the public service, and in private employment — I repeat, and in private employment. Democracy means the protection of the weak against the strong. Democracy means the obligation of the minority to recognise the right of the majority.” Williams might also have added “as well, the obligation of the majority to recognise the legitimate right of the minority.”

Williams seems almost to be speaking from the grave. But, I suspect, it may be too much to expect that the words of wisdom of a long dead man, however distinguished, would make much of an impact on our seemingly “brain dead” politicians on all sides of the political aisles. In any case, “Where ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to wise.” According to Williams, “Democracy means freedom of worship for all... and democracy means responsibility of the government to its citizens, the protection of citizens from arbitrary power and the violation of human freedoms and individual rights.” I have quoted Eric Williams at some length, but I find it difficult to omit this final paragraph, “Democracy is but a hollow mockery and a gigantic fraud when it is based on a ruling group’s domination of slaves or helots or fellaheen or second class citizens or showing intolerance because of considerations of race, colour, creed, national origin, previous condition of servitude or other irrationality.” In his more lucid perspectives, Williams was acutely aware of the dangers posed by the unbridled and unfettered executive and the political horse trading involved in forming governments, where it boils down to “who have more corn will feed more fowl.” Bob Marley I think, sang, “I throw me corn, but I ain’t call no fowl.”

That brings me to the question of persons offering themselves for election on a political platform, presumably committed to a particular programme and, after the election results are in, discover that their parliamentary votes can be bought or sold for a consideration (I didn’t mention anything about bribes) and suddenly decide that the political grass is greener or more luscious on the other side. That probably gave Williams the preposterous idea of asking prospective candidates to supply him with “undated letters of resignation.” So, coupled with the crossing-of-the-floor act, parliamentarians would find themselves in the invidious position of having to ask “how high?” whenever the leader said “jump!”

Now I can’t swear to it that the “crossing-of-the-floor” act was constitutional or the PNM parliamentarians did submit those signed but undated letters of resignation. However when Hector Mc Clean fell out of favour with the Doc and either crossed the floor or was tossed across, it was good time as any to test the constitutionality of the “floor-crossing” act. To cut a long story short, Mc Clean thumbed his nose at the Doc and he reappeared in another political incarnation as “Mr Speaker, Sir!” when then Opposition leader Patrick Manning sought to test the legality re Vincent Lasse and Rupert Griffith jumping ship to secure UNC’s options of cutting loose a Tobago seat and “kicking the other one upstairs,” in a manner of speaking. Patrick was apparently the only person who didn’t or couldn’t see that he was walking “blindfolded” into a UNC trap which could have resulted in Balisier House being levied upon or a well-known politician losing his parliamentary seat due to bankruptcy. Unbelievably, the crucial letter which was sent to the Speaker was apparently not even seen by Manning’s lawyer (who was completely taken by surprise by its idiotic content). And the case was lost before it even began. That has left our current PM as the latest “million dollar man” — owing a million!

It is time to seek not debt forgiveness; but waiver, because it was the then leader of the opposition and not the current Prime Minister whose pigheadedness foolishly caused that unnecessary debt burden and left him vulnerable to the taunts of the likes of Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Wade Mark, among Panday’s other minions.