Concept and meaning of protocol

THE EDITOR: It is quite obvious that the Government, and in particular the Acting Foreign Affairs Minister, in light of their totally inappropriate statements regarding the Nelson Mandela visit, do not understand the concept and meaning of protocol, even if it jumped up and bit them on the nose. Far too often persons hold  positions in this country and use the word protocol conveniently to ensure that their own clandestine operation is  achieved.

Protocol deals primarily with official formality and conventional rules of social behaviour. The Government in this regard has blatantly contradicted themselves by firstly snubbing Nelson Mandela through rejecting CONCACAF’s proposal for a joint sitting of Parliament for Mr Mandela, with the excuse being that he is not a Head of State , but then in the same breadth, they talk protocol and state that the Prime Minister should be the first to greet him on his arrival. There is absolutely nothing in protocol that dictates that a non Head of State “must” be initially greeted by our Prime Minister. Protocol dictates that the Prime Minister should be the first to greet a dignitary “ only if   “that visitor is a Head of State. In this regard this is not the case, as the Government so rudely confirmed as their excuse to reject the joint Parliamentary  sitting proposal, so the Govern-ment is totally out of place and speaking with a forked tongue to now demand that the Prime Minister should be the first to greet Mr Mandela.

Furthermore a Head of State can in fact enter a country, though, once it is not an official visit,  the Government is not committed nor do they have the authorisation to stipulate  what must transpire during that Head of State’s time in our country. They may however kindly make recommendations and proposals to the respective host. The President of Guyana and Prime Minister of St Vincent  are examples whereby they have arrived in our country on several occasions, but since it is not an official or state visit, no protocol officer or Government official greets them at the airport and they do not dictate what they  must do or where they must go. The Government must also be reminded that if they want to sing the protocol chant,  protocol also dictates that when a nationwide celebration is being held, as what took place recently during Brian Lara’s triumphant return to our shores,  you do not invite the Leader of the Opposition less than twelve (12) hours prior to its commencement, but then again double standard has always been their style.

This small minded attitude bears similar resemblance to the Government also snubbing Rudy Giuliani when he conducted a Conference at the  Hilton last year, with no reason to do so other than the Prime Minister still wearing his political balisier blinkers, and refusing to accept the fact that good ideas, pro active thinking and foresight can in fact come from outside of Balisier House, but when it does, all that matters then is sheer sobatage, regardless of whether it causes an embarrassment to our country. The continued narrow minded way of thinking by Cabinet has embarrassed the country firstly with the Rudy Giuliani visit, and now they have done it again with the visit of Nelson Mandela.  Our country continues to lose golden opportunities to develop because of a tunnel visioned Cabinet that cannot see further than the tie that they wear, and the development of our country is secondary. It is high time that the Trinidad and Tobago people realise that the Government’s mission accomplishment is nothing more than political survival, which may incorporate dictatorship and vindictiveness,  and at the expense of our nation’s progress.

CAPTAIN GARY GRIFFITH
Previously responsible for all protocol matters involving-
His Excellency the President - 1999 (as Aide De Camp
The Honourable Prime Minister- 2000-2002 (as Military Attache)
Chief of Defence Staff - 1996-1999 (as Aide to two Chiefs of Defence Staff)
CARICOM Forces in the United Ntaions Mission in Haiti- 1995 (as Administrative and Welfare and Finance Officer)