PM’s baffling silence

A press release from the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday expressed disappointment that two daily newspapers made him appear to be callous and insensitive about the brutal death of Ashmead Baksh, son of Nizam Baksh, MP for Naparima, at the hands of abductors last weekend. Before rushing to criticise the media the PM should ask himself why, when approached by reporters at the PMM’s family day on Sunday, he had no comment to their requests that he say something. He could have said that he was going to speak about it later at the function or that he was sending a letter of condolence to the family or that a representative of the government was going to attend the funeral. Instead he continued to enjoy the fun and games on Sunday.

Regardless of what he says now the Prime Minister by maintaining the silence when reporters asked him for a comment on the troubling issue of crime, does the  nation a disservice. Within recent weeks Trinidad and Tobago’s image has been savaged at home and abroad by a series of murders, cocaine and marijuana seizures, kidnappings, rapes and the mindless shooting of a visiting university professor. In turn, during the last ten days the country has been rocked by an alleged misuse of a key and somewhat sensitive area of diplomatic privilege; a terror alert following on a threat to blow up several public buildings; the execution of the wife of a prominent businessman and the kidnapping and shock murder of the son of a Member of Parliament.

Prime Minister Manning should appreciate the public and international concern that would have been aroused even if, for example, these incidents had taken place in much larger countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan or a Member State of the European Union. In addition, the Head of Government would have been expected to make a public statement immediately. This, we can confidently tell Mr Manning, would have been done. Mr Manning must understand that as Head of the Government it is his duty not only to allay the fears of residents but that of the regional and international investor communities and potential tourists as well.

What Trinidad and Tobago is witnessing today will not readily go away because of Prime Ministerial silence, and the longer the Prime Minister takes to say something on the upsurge of crime and what his Government is doing and plans to do about it the greater will be the damage. The Prime Minister, who is fond of quoting the Scriptures will no doubt recall the exhortation of Ecclesiastes: “To everything there is a season.... a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” We urge that now is the time for Mr Manning to speak out on the cancer of crime and end his silence.

And while, understandably, the Prime Minister may not be at liberty to provide in depth comment on any individual case (or cases) once matters arising out of the incident(s) are properly before the Courts, he can, nonetheless, tell the nation what immediate steps are being taken and long term measures put in place to minimise and/or prevent the possibility of a recurrence. The Public needs to be assured. Investors, whether domestic, regional or international also have to be reassured that Government can guarantee that Trinidad and Tobago’s long accepted social stability is not under threat and that their investments are secure.