Section-Gate Redux...

On wednesday night this week both journalism and politics in this country took a hit as the government rolled out its 'Section-Gate' bandwagon featuring a cadre of their biggest mouths and moderated by Hansley Ajodha who can now say with honesty - “I may not be a journalist but I have played one on TV.” This taxpayer funded frolic was so similar in scope to Patrick Manning's Gideon-Hanomansingh-hosted 'PM could mean Project Manager too' circus that it is clear that both sides uses the same page from the same play book - when in trouble – spin, spin, spin.

Other than hoping to shout the nation into submission one is left to wonder what could have been the purpose of last night's hastily put together (unacknowledged)  political commercial? Was it to deflect from the smoldering Section 34 fiasco that is threatening to burn the whole coalition down? Surely it cannot be that simple when the simpler solution is the removal of the Attorney General who, (depending on who you talk to), was either complicit or incompetent and who, at this point, everyone is happy to see the back of? Was it to distract the population and provide a lead in for this coming weekend's 'wine down low' pre-budget carnival? Possible, but then, isn't Machel supposed to be there to help the crowd crunch those much needed budget numbers? How about to misdirect a society so fed up and up in arms against the government and the brazen deceit that would allow Section 34 to even be contemplated much less executed that they are ready to return to the polls? Perhaps it is simpler than that and, as the old people like to say -'Pothound does bark more when scared.' Regardless of the reasons, what was simulcast on Wednesday was an embarrassing spectacle of epic proportions and may have instead given the population a view into what a Cabinet meeting with this crew must sound like.

Surely they must know by now that things don't work like that in Triniland, and that, regardless of how good your spin doctors are and how much loot you have to throw at a thing, at some point you are still going to have to face the music? So what now? How do you spin an issue that finds the Chamber of Commerce, the Joint Trade Union Movement, the Chief Justice, the bloggers community, Transparency International, the Director of Public Prosecution, the Manufacturers association and civil society at large all on the same side? Surely hubris and arrogance has an end and surely they must realize that there was a 'too far' and section 34 and the conspiring to free Ish & Steve was it?

Once again I find myself in the position of Kamla's unpaid chief advisor, to once again help her out of another cluster-screw-up UNC style, so here goes: Kams, first and foremost you are going to  have to fire Anand Ramlogan; Yes you have no choice and no the issue is not going away; If anything it's probably going to get worse so you need to bite down hard and just do it. Secondly fire Jack; You're going to have to anyway at some point and why not now when you could use firing both as a one two punch to get yourself back into the people's good books? Thirdly, drop all the charges in all local courts against Ish & Steve so as to open the way for extraditing them. No we cannot deal with them and Uncle Sam wants them so win/win, plus, getting them out of the way will make Section 34 go away, so what more could you want? Finally, use this opportunity to really clean house. Get rid of the mocking pretenders around you and begin the process of really serving the people before it is too late for your administration. Build your legislative agenda around Constitutional reform that includes campaign finance and local government reform as well as constituents right to recall non performing MP's. You have a real opportunity here to rise like a phoenix from the ash heap your government has become, or you could go down with it. Don't waste it.