Remy

Originally Posted by Remy

I will normally steer clear from most discussions on the issue of party politics as practiced in Trinidad and Tobago. I find it to be rather divisive. The emotion expended on issues as they impact on the body politics is usually marked with a level of inanity that can only be ascribed to blind loyalty to the party which the individual support and, in most cases, is a member. I was provoked however, by a friend who asked. “Well! What do you think about the political situation in the country now”? Quite frankly, I think this development is very good for politics in this country. The accession of a different political entity to the commanding heights of the economy can only rebound to the good of this country. If only this new government can find the strength to turn of the election/opposition mode it seem stuck in, and, remain focus on managing the affairs of the country, only good can come out of this.

Also, a change of this magnitude can go a long way in dispelling the doubts some citizens have relative to the role the various intuitions play in the delivery of services to citizens. After all, Trinidad and Tobago is a Mosaic and all ethnic groups should be able to participate in the task of nation building. As far as I know the security services did their job. The EBC did their job. Even the previous government did their part in respecting the will of the people. A new government is in office and this country was spared the disquiet associated with this event in other countries. We can live with the political picong and even political “gun talk”, but, as a nation we must resist the temptation to descend into the cesspit of mayhem occurring elsewhere.

Oh Yes! Democracy is alive and well in this country. One can only hope that as the various arms of Government do there part in implementing the policies of this Government, citizens will take note of this, and, not return to viewing with suspicion those agencies which are now serving them, and, to cries of alienation and discrimination at every turn, should the circumstances change sometime in the future to one less favorable to their expectations.

As for MR. Manning and the PNM, honest introspection is a must at this time. The truth is the party was badly represented by Manning who stared of well but lost his way when he departed from the founding principles of the PNM and began espousing his mantra that the PNM is a stand alone entity which does not need the support of others. Also,
he surrounded himself with individuals who lacked the moral courage to speak their minds and treat with issues in a pragmatic manner. Rather, they choose to preoccupy themselves with pleasing Manning without due consideration of what was good for the party and its image in the wider society.

I maintain that the failure of Manning to see the PNM as the product of dissenting voices, and its need to remain relevant by embracing divergent views into its fold, lie at the heart its demise. This failure on the part of Manning went without public caution from the party hierarchy and in time proved to be catalyst for its downfall. If the PNM is to survive this latest defeat at the pools it must not only rid itself of the Manning legacy but all those miscreants who failed to reign in Manning while he ran the PNM to the ground. A fresh start with new faces is in my view the best option this party has.


The UNC on the other hand was able to remake itself by aligning itself to interest groups in the country. This provided an avenue for expression for these groups which hitherto lack a vehicle from which to express themselves. These alignments gave the appearance of some kind of unity and provided the UNC an opportunity to reinvent itself. Thus, ensuring it had the momentum it needed to win the election and consequently, form the Government.

The question the PNM must now answer is how to purge itself of Manning and his legacy of alleged corruption and despotism which now bedevils it. This country is in need of a strong opposition and that mantel has now fallen into the bosom of the PNM. Will the PNM rise to the occasion or will it fade into political oblivion? I envisage an exciting time ahead in the body politics of this country.