The Tribune

AT the other end of the telephone early yesterday morning a chuckling, Trinidadian- accented voice, asked the loaded question:

“Can you image this happening in the Bahamas?”

It’s a question we shall leave for our readers to ponder, because we are certain by now they can anticipate our answer.

It’s a new day in Trinidadian politics — a time that is causing quite a stir for the People’s Partnership coalition, headed by Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago’s first female prime minister.

“The integrity of my Government will not be compromised by anyone, regardless of the office they hold. I hold everyone entrusted to their job accountable,” said the Prime Minister after firing Justice Minister Herbert Voleny last week for misleading cabinet, which in turn misled parliament.

On May 10, 2010, just two weeks short of the PP’s first year in parliament, the Prime Minister’s first firing was of Planning Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs Minister Mary Kathleen King for “acting improperly” in the issue of a contract award.

“It’s a sad day,” said the Prime Minister. “It’s a woman. It’s a bright person but it has to be done.” She hoped it would be a lesson for all of her government team.

Mrs King was accused of participating too closely in the awarding of a contract to a family business, which she jointly owned with her husband. It was claimed that she failed to disclose her interest in the company, “participated” in the selection process and appointed her secretary to the evaluation committee that recommended the contract be awarded to the family website company.

At the time the Prime Minister said that if the contract had been improperly awarded it would have to be revoked.

“This will serve as a warning,” she said, “a wake-up call to every member of the Cabinet who is interested in serving the people and doing so with transparency and accountability. It will be a lesson for all of us.”

It was her first firing of a minister, but she vowed to remain committed to providing good government for her people, and promised that if she had to revoke a minister’s appointment again, she would not hesitate to do so.

In fact she did it twice more.

Last month she fired her junior national security minister Collin Patrap after he was detained by police on a Saturday night —August 25 — because it was alleged that he had failed to comply with the orders of policemen on duty to take the breathalyser test. This is a strict test in Trinidad, it having been found that alcohol is closely linked with serious traffic accidents. Nobody is above the law when it comes to taking this test. Apparently, Mr Patrap thought that he was.

The Prime Minister on receiving the reports from the Ministry of National Security and Mr Patrap advised President Professor George Maxwell Richards “to revoke the appointment of Minister Collin Patrap with immediate effect.”

She is now being pressed to remove Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president, from Cabinet for the serious allegations of misconduct levelled against him while in that post. Making the situation worse for Warner was his announced intention of entering into a business arrangement to acquire shares in a media house while still a government minister. It is claimed that this is in breach of the requirements of the Integrity in Public Life Act.

Time will tell what her decision will be in this case. However, a learned attorney herself, she takes her time investigating the facts, seeking advice and then making her move.

On Monday, Trinidad celebrated Republic Day. This year is also its 50th anniversary of independence.

“On this Republic Day,” said Mrs Persad-Bissessar, “I recommit myself and my government to your service, and I give you the assurance that together, as a united people, we will continue to grow.”

When our government adopts the same attitude of intolerance to political wrong-doing and recognises the “importance of engaging with all of the citizenry when making decisions that affect” them all, then maybe, the Bahamas will also continue to grow.

However, that day has yet to come.