The other 50 percent

THE EDITOR: There can be no equity or fair distribution of the resources of wealth of this country among its citizens with the present system of governance that is in existence. The entire system was ill conceived and grossly unsuitable for a multi-ethnic, multi- cultural society such as that of Trinidad and Tobago. For any government to be honest, fair and effective, it must be composed of all the representatives of all the citizens and not merely the members of any single political party which in the case of TT, amounts to only 50 percent of the population.
    
During a recent TV broadcast on the occasion of the PNM’s 39th party convention, the Political Leader of the party and Prime Minister of this country stated that, all ministers of government would be called upon to give an account of their stewardship to members of the PNM party at regular intervals (not to the citizens of the country) to whom they were accountable. No mention was made regarding the other 50 percent of the population. In short, the PNM government is only accountable to members of the PNM party and as their first father clearly stated, “Who don’t like it could get to hell out of here.” Another unacceptable provision is the appointment of a president, speaker of the House and president of the Senate by the government elected to power. Especially, when in the case of the Speaker of the House and president of the senate, they are both members of the hierarchy of the PNM party and one a former PNM parliamentary representative for PAP. No one can possibly be fair and impartial under such circumstances.

It is noteworthy that not one single matter that has been proposed for discussion as a matter of national urgency by the Opposition has ever been allowed, not even when the whole of central Trinidad was being washed away by flood waters. But then central Trinidad is largely inhabited by the members of the other 50 percent of the population. Those of us who ascend to the heights of political power seem to quickly and conveniently forget that they have been appointed to serve and not to rule and to dispense fair and equal treatment to each and every citizen of the country and not just to members and supporters of any particular political party. The fact is that the party system of politics all over the world, even in countries in which there is one dominant ethnic composition, has proven to be a breeding ground for inequality, corruption, nepotism, tyranny and every other possible evil that can exist.

MARTIN KAVANAGH
La Romaine