MANNING’S LACK OF JUDGMENT

The Chairman of the United National Congress, Senator Wade Mark, makes many statements that are open to challenge. It is therefore easy to disregard him even when he is saying something important as he did last Sunday. His criticism of Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s departure from the country to attend a gas conference in Spain at this time is quite correct.

Despite the recent public relations exercise that attempted to paint an utterly false image, Mr Manning knows or should know that the people of this country are living in great fear as murders and kidnappings are daily occurrences. We need to see some definite action that could stem the tide of lawlessness. That is our priority for the Prime Minister, not a gas conference in Spain which could have been attended by the Energy Minister or a technocrat.

Secondly, how could Mr Manning leave the country for a week without some decision on the issue of Chief Justice Sat Sharma? As Mark correctly stated it is now exactly one month since Mr Manning confirmed in the Senate that there was an investigation into the Chief Justice. He said that he was in the fact-finding stage, would not rush into a decision and would only act after a thorough examination of the facts. But one month? Where is the sense of urgency in a matter of such fundamental importance?

How could Mr Manning fly off to a conference, for heaven’s sake, and leave the matter of the investigation of the Chief Justice in abeyance?
Is this not a critical moment in our lives faced with the out-of-control crime and the Chief Justice under investigation? Should Mr Manning not be at home attending to priorities? The attorneys who are advising Mr Manning are in London, where Mr Manning stopped off enroute to Spain. But if this was the reason for his trip at this time he should have informed the public. It is totally unacceptable the way the public’s right to know is ignored, and it is this sort of attitude that causes the media to find the truth wherever it can and the Opposition to allege that the Judiciary is being persecuted.