Acutely embarrassing

And it is not just a matter of ensuring the ceremonial Head of State is secure: last Friday’s swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley himself.

As such, this matter touches upon the security arrangements for him as much as for the President.

All who venture to President’s House — including members of the media — are acutely aware of the strictures that accompany such visits.

There is an accreditation process, forms of identification are often requested, there is even a strict dress code. No one can just walk off the road and into an audience with His Excellency.

Therefore it seems quite alarming – if we are to believe the reports – that a guest of which President’s House had no notice was simply waved past security checks by none other than a yet-to-be-appointed government minister. It is not the place of any guest at President’s House to subvert the security arrangements therein.

It is incredulous that this was allowed to happen. That it was not immediately addressed by security and administrative officials at President’s House, and by the officials at the side of the Prime Minister, in a way that would eliminate any risk would appear to be an acute failure of several agencies.

All of this is said without prejudice to the guest in question, a person reportedly known to police. Yet, even if this individual were a stranger to law enforcement authorities, it would still be highly irregular for such an individual to be sprung, as a surprise, onto the Prime Minister and President at a private swearing-in ceremony within the close confines of the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, even before the facts have fully settled, the political implications in relation to this bizarre affair have begun to reverberate.

History will record that it was Rowley who appointed McDonald and then removed her in the space of 48 hours. That dubious distinction, no matter the nuances of the facts, will forever be an embarrassing chapter of Trinidad and Tobago politics.

The Prime Minister — who is also the leader of the People’s National Movement — has not removed Mc- Donald as a deputy political leader in his party. His ostensible concern was the appearance of a proximity between the Cabinet he leads and criminal elements. It is unclear why he should not be concerned likewise when it comes to the affairs of Balisier House.

As for McDonald, this incident is not likely to be the last of her. She is an attorney and a former Opposition Whip and could well seek re-election as an MP. Unlike Rowley, however, she has failed to publicly address all of the serious concerns about her judgment last Friday.

Despite the speculation, the public remains none the wiser when it comes to the facts in relation this truly bizarre incident. In invoking his role as chairman of the National Security Council, Rowley asks us to trust his judgment on the assumption that he knows more than the general population does. The problem with this is that it is precisely the Prime Minister’s judgment that has now been brought under scrutiny by nothing other than his own actions.

Though he acted swiftly, the decision of the Prime Minister to hold a press conference 24 hours after he revoked McDonald’s appointment was an error as it created too much room for speculation. Furthermore, in relation to the guest, it must be noted that all citizens are entitled to equality of treatment under the law and to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Either way, the events that unfolded last Friday should never have taken place. That is because the State has a legal and moral duty to ensure that it gives President’s House the resources it needs to secure our system of governance.

The review of arrangements at President’s House ordered by President Anthony Carmona must be swiftly undertaken to this end.