Inconsistent Consistencies... (Firing Jack)

Whenever things that are not easily explained or understood occur one could be excused for relying on history to be a guide, as a reference of sorts as to how similar circumstances were handled in the past, especially when explanations are not forthcoming. On Wednesday March 27th 2012 such a situation occurred and something heretofore inexplicable happened as the people of Trinidad & Tobago were informed via a reputable international news agency that, not only was the son of high ranking government minister the subject of and party to a joint FBI and IRS investigation into allegations of serious financial misconduct in multiple jurisdictions, but that his father, the Minister of National Security, the office holder with whom information of this nature would normally be shared between agencies and across borders to prevent screw ups from becoming fiascos was himself a principal subject of the said investigations.

And there's more. Because something far more sinister is being exposed here, evidenced by the Prime Minister's contradictory response to allegations of misbehavior within her Cabinet, and to get to the meat of the matter we have to be reminded of the following:

- On May 10th 2011 the appointment of Government Senator and Minister of Planning, Restructuring and Gender Affairs, Mary King was revoked by president Maxwell Richards. This comes following a meeting Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar held with President Richards at 11.30 a.m. today to discuss evidence that implicated King in the inappropriate awarding of a $100,000 contract to a company, Ixanos, in which King’s family has an interest. Persad-Bissessar was quoted as saying "new evidence came to light following an investigation conducted into the matter by the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan”. She explained that her decision to remove King as both a senator and government minister was based on that new evidence.

- On August 25th 2012 Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar acted swiftly when she fired Collin Partap as Minister in the Ministry of National Security, rendering him a backbencher in the Parliament. The Prime Minister’s decisive action came hours after Partap’s detention for not taking a breathalyzer test. “I have decided to advise the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Prof George Maxwell Richards, to revoke the appointment of Minister Collin Partap with immediate effect. “This decision was made subsequent to reports received from the Ministry of National Security and Mr Collin Partap.”

- On September 20th 2012 Justice Minister Herbert Volney was fired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for his role in engineering Cabinet’s approval for, and the President’s proclamation of Section 34 of the Administration of Justice  (Indictable Proceedings) 2011 Act. Persad-Bissessar’s announcement was made in an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Port of Spain, and followed a meeting of the Cabinet and National Security Council.

Now contrast and compare those three above with this:

- “Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is seeking official corroboration of the information in the Reuters FBI probe story in which National Security Minister Jack Warner and his son Daryan are mentioned, according to the PM’s office. This statement was issued yesterday afternoon by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in response to queries about the international Reuters story, headlined “FBI has co-operating witness for soccer fraud probe: sources.””

Why such a sudden and drastic change to in the Prime Minister's previously demonstrated response to allegations of misconduct, especially in a situation that carries the seed for such widespread humiliation simply based on the personality in question? Surely she is aware that to waffle here on this most serious of issues is to remove all doubt from an already reticent and suspicious electorate that she is in fact not in control of her Cabinet, and that others pull her stings remotely? The people of this country have every right to be concerned for its future under such blurred lines of authority and again the Prime Minister will have no one but herself to blame should things go awry fueled by her failure to do the right and honorable thing.

Regardless of Warner's position in the party or any rumored holds he may have over her, at this point in time she is still the Prime Minister of this land and is bound by her Office to carry out that duty responsibly. She needs to be told in no uncertain terms that to do otherwise, to quibble over issues or circumstances, to attempt to deflect, misdirect or distract from this in any way is to willfully and knowingly commit political suicide.