TOO MUCH STRESS

Details of the reasons for Stollmeyer and his colleague Justice Roger Hamel-Smith’s resignations were contained in a statement from the Office of the President yesterday. On Thursday, that office announced the resignations. The resignation letters were delivered and accepted by the President on June 22 and became effective June 30.

Following Thursday’s announcement, there were calls for the two to make public, reasons for their resignations. Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, who in a lawsuit challenged Stollmeyer and Hamel Smith’s appointments as JLSC members, said on Thursday that full and frank disclosure was a necessary part of the principles of transparency and public accountability.

“It is disappointing they opted for the diplomatic obscurity of ‘personal reasons’. In so doing, they have short changed the population,” Ramlogan said on Thursday.

STRESS IN PUBLIC SERVICE Yesterday’s statement from the President’s Office, quoted from Stollmeyer’s resignation letter, which read, “Recent events have given me reason to pause and reflect upon my commitment to public life and duty to my country.

“It has become increasingly obvious that fulfilling that duty or those duties, faces great difficulty in light of the ever-increasing tendency in our society to criticize and condemn unjustifiably…those who undertake the task of serving. Inevitably, it causes distress both to the individual and to his or her family and friends.

“It is unfair of me to continue to inflict that distress upon those for whom I have so much love and regard. I find myself with no alternative but to depart public life,” Stollmeyer’s resignation letter stated.

The statement from the Office of the President only gave Hamel- Smith’s explanation for his resignation as being, “for reasons personal to me.” The statement also alluded to a difficulty in retaining people to sit on commissions and boards.

It said there is a reluctance by good, competent, qualified and experienced citizens coming forward to serve. It noted that the reluctance was in large measure, sometimes due to the vitriol, unfair and unjustifiable criticism leveled against persons brave enough to serve and the resulting hardship and undue distress caused to family members and genuine friends.

SEARCH FOR REPLACEMENTS The President’s Office assured that President Anthony Carmona will continue to persevere and ‘will not give up in sourcing suitable persons for public office.’ “The Office of The President is of the view that everyone has a right to criticize and be critical but no one has a right to malign and denigrate another.

Criticisms must always be grounded in civility, decency and comity,” yesterday’s statement said. It also noted that the Office of the President has already begun the process of finding suitable candidates to fill the vacancies in the JLSC.

In an earlier interview, communication advisor to the President Theron Boodan, said the process to replace Hamel-Smith and Stollmeyer started when the President received their resignations. He said the process is ongoing.

Boodan also noted that persons are reluctant to accept positions on certain commissions, adding, “And remember we must find suitable persons that fit the strict requirements set out in the Constitution.” Boodan also explained why the announcement of Hamel-Smith and Stollmeyer was only made on Thursday when the retired judges tendered their resignations since June 22.

“You must remember their resignations became effective June 30, and while the announcement could have been made on that day, the Office of the President was also engaged with the swearing in of ministers,” he said.

He added that the Office was then occupied with the revocation of the appointment of Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, as Minister of Public Utilities, as well as the investigations on a breach of security relative to McDonald’s guest, self-proclaimed community leader Cedric “Burkie” Burke.

On Monday, Boodan said the President was in Tobago for a mini-National Awards ceremony. He further noted that there were other issues relative to the resignations that had to be cleared up before the announcement was made. The remaining JLSC members are head of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Maureen Manchouck and attorney Ernest H.

Koylass, SC.