Schemes and Dreams

The Editor: The recently “resolved” Coudray issue is far more than the soon to be forgotten “storm in a teacup” Manning hopes to convey by stony silence. Its significance is greater than he  would like the public to recognise. Ever the artless badger, Manning has again bungled the execution of his Messiah’s blueprint for the re-establishment of a PNM constitutional dictatorship.

The first such attempt was the expensive Commission of Inquiry into the operation and integrity of the EBC, a blatant attempt to discredit that statutory body as a precondition to PNM domination which resulted in acute embarrassment for the inquisitors, not least of whom was the ex-Minister of Health, recently and accurately described as “the little idiot.” It may actually have achieved a more sinister and ultimate purpose. Manning ignored UNC demands for independent monitoring in the October 2002 election which narrowly legitimised his purloined power. In the atmosphere of suspicion and hostility prevalent in the society after December 24, 2001, surely independent observation was a sine qua non of democratic transparency and integrity in any subsequent election?  Is not the EBC charged with responsibility for such integrity and transparency? 

After the attempt to impinge its own integrity, where on record is any attempt by that statutory body to ensure such monitoring, even if that attempt was limited to moral suasion? And if not, why not?  Further, the EBC cannot be unaware of persistent reports emanating from marginal constituencies where the PNM won in October ’02  of voter intimidation by the Jamaat al Muslimeen on behalf of the PNM. Has the EBC ever requested or instituted any steps to verify the accuracy or otherwise of those reports? Confirmation of the latter, even today, would among other things render that electoral result meaningless and invalid surely. Again, if not, why not? Manning focused his second public attempt at another already partly compromised arm of the State, its Police Service. Evidence of that compromise was demonstrated in the reaction of ASP Allard to a peaceful walk in protest at criminal anarchy in UNC heartland, Chaguanas. Somewhat different was the treatment afforded Selwyn Cudjoe on his illegal march to Robinson’s mansion — ethnic bias, political bias, or both? Having failed to sucker Panday, in the absence of meaningful Constitutional Reform, into any police reform bill Manning made his play.

Relying upon political affiliation for success he abused his authority to subvert established practice in having the acting CoP, with whom he had toyed for months while crime ran rampant, proceed to the Prime Minister’s office where a dutifully grateful Snaggs was magnanimously granted his instrument of appointment, directly from the hand of his benefactor. Or so it was intended to appear. Was Manning successful in placing the CoP in his debt? Only time will tell. Sufficient to state that as a result of ensuing resentment engendered in a Civil Service long identified as PNM’s largest party group, internal steps have been adopted to ensure that Manning does not pull that stunt with the appointment of Snaggs’ successor. Success may be measured in the case of recently arrested and charged Bajan fishermen apprehended by the Coast Guard, illegally fishing in Tobago waters. They were released on orders from a “Government Minister,” free to leave with their illegal catch, in contravention to the law, no explanation yet forthcoming.  Could those three fishermen have been stepsons of that yet unidentified minister? Another example of Manning’s determination to dominate both legal process and/or  statutory body when he deems it politically expedient so to do, may be gleaned from the following.

While Minister of Housing, Keith Rowley, was engaged in the unpopular task of bulldozing squatters hovels in the path of PNM’s house padding programme, his master personally flaunted the very law under which Rowley was mandated to commit political suicide.  Manning postponed a foreign conference for the express purpose of staying the legal demolition of an illegally constructed Muslimeen mosque on state land in Laventille. This is the same Muslimeen to which he was forced to abort the gift of Mucurapo lands in September ‘02, the same accused of voter intimidation in the following month — payback time, or harbinger of things to come? And now the latest fiasco, There can be no gainsaying the fact that Manning suborned the independence of the SASC in attempted fulfillment of his personal threat to punish Marlene Coudray for her temerity in upholding, with neither fear nor favour, the highest traditions of her office. Had Ms Coudray been possessed of lesser intestinal fortitude and personal integrity, Manning would have succeeded in establishing dominance over any residual independence in the Civil Service.

Ever the bungler, however, he has succeeded in destroying what his party had established over 30 years ago.  A debt of gratitude is due to that courageous lady as well as the support she enjoys from Anand Ramlogan, Larry Achong, Ms Primus of the PSA and all other right thinking citizens who rallied in her defence. While Marlene Coudray has been vindicated, this sordid issue is far from resolved. It is at the hands of a weak body like the current SASC that the late Jean Miles suffered martyrdom for her integrity, a similar fate awaited Ms Coudray but for the calibre of her support. Resolution must begin, therefore, with resignation en mass of a discredited SASC.  Nor can it end there. That the public may appreciate with exactly what they elected to replace a performance oriented UNC, it is now incumbent upon Ms Coudray to make full and detailed public disclosure of each of the importunities from the ruling party and its friends which she suffered both in her official and personal capacities. Only thus will the magnitude of the obscenity of 24/12/01 begin to be appreciated.

TG MENDES
Port-of-Spain