PM: Thou shalt not steal

Prime Minister Patrick Manning proffered his “three rules of politics” to aspiring politicians as he launched the PNM Party School at Balisier House yesterday. Adopting the role of school-master, he said he was giving attendants their first lesson in the 12-week programme. He said that while books on theoretical politics abounded, he knew of only two on practical politics — Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Discourses. The school, he said, would expose members to the institutional memory of the PNM. He acknowledged that the party had not always produced the country’s best politicians, such as at the time leading up to the party’s defeat in 1987.

Manning then listed the three fundamental principles of politics. Firstly, he said politics exists for only one purpose — to improve the quality of life of those who you are serving. “Politics isn’t the pursuit of fame, power and fortune, but service and service only.” Secondly, he quoted the Ten Commandments to state: “Thou shalt not steal.” Politicians, he said, must maintain the highest standards of integrity, adding: “Don’t believe you can do things and nobody will know.” Saying that whatever one did would come to light, he added: “If you have no integrity do not seek a political existence or you could find yourself being locked up.” Manning gave his third principle saying: “Anyone involved in politics in Trinidad and Tobago must have a deep and abiding commitment to multi-racialism.”