Political Revivals, Parliamentary Wakes.... (How the Mighty have fallen...)

There are times my life takes on a Forrest Gump type quality, where I accidentally or by karma's design find myself at the nexus of a great unfolding, a change event.

Take today for example, having been invited to meet with and speak with the Prime Minister I was on my way to the Red House the seat of Parliament, listening to the call of the vote, all of the Members giving yes or no on a motion like any motion, only today's motion was not just like any motion because today's motion carried much significance outside of the substance of the issue.

When former Prime Minister Patrick Manning broke his silence to cast aspersions on the current Prime minister's house complete with props and pictures, he caused a ripple in the room and found himself dragged before the House Privileges Committee for both his substance and his delivery.

In his now familiar and trademark style he (Patrick Manning) made a mountain out of this molehill and challenged the rules of the ruling and brought a  motion to change the very rules, operating outside of the working order of a Party he no longer leads, causing whether purposely or quite by accident a rift right down the center of that Party, leaving me to remark earlier that today would be a red letter day in the Parliament, as the substance of the motion notwithstanding, the votes themselves would tell a story; and while the Government Members were always expected to vote no on this nothing issue, the Opposition's votes carried weight beyond their few numbers in the House because, had the Members voted with Manning he would have captured the figurative power of the Leader of the Opposition, requiring the transfer of the balance at some later date but the deal would have been done.

Had they voted against him it would have cemented Dr. Rowley's rightful hold on his position as leader of the Opposition and would be the final humiliation of Manning's once brilliant career now impaled in the House on a nothing issue with a nothing vote that he himself caused when he went rogue within his own Party.

In Manning's world the worst occurred as the majority of his Party led by their Leader Dr. Keith Rowley abstained from voting, the Parliamentary equivalent of a turning away, the ultimate insult.

If that were all that happened today it would have been sufficient, but three Members chose to hoist themselves on Manning's petard in some perverted show of solidarity and now will have to go down with the ship. Most noteworthy among these Dr. Amery Browne, a brilliant young Parliamentarian full of promise who was coming out of the Red House as I was going in, and in the brief but firm handshake and knowing glances across hollow words we acknowledged his terrible gamble, that his career may very well have died today over some macabre demonstration of loyalty to a madman.

Having finished my business with our gracious hostess we left the Parliament and  stopped into a favorite restaurant to rehash the days events where we encountered significant PNM Party financiers sitting together staring off into the distance in a way that was referred to in Viet Nam as the thousand yard stare, where one looks off into the distance at nothing in particular, but preferring that to looking at reality.

One of their number, a very good friend of mine whose usual enthusiasm could heal the lame and wake the dead looked broken and forlorn and if he had the words to describe what took place today he didn't want to say it or couldn't.

I will.

Patrick Mervyn Augustus Manning as is his custom is bent on destroying that which he cannot have by any means necessary, and by his foolish hubris today may have seriously weakened an already hobbling PNM in a vain glorious attempt to score cheap political points.

Seems the old sayings live on because of their timelessness and ability to stay true regardless, and here is a perfect example of who the Gods would destroy they first make mad.

I don't know what the PNM did to deserve this, but this slow train-wreck is bitter retribution for the once great institution.

Dr. Keith Rowley, the ball is now firmly in your court.

The people of Trinidad & Tobago are watching and waiting to see what you do next...