Since election campaigning began at the beginning of 2015, sparks have been flying and political maneuvering taking place both on and off the political platforms. Given our political culture and the high stakes involved, it appears that the three-month period between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's announcement of the date for general elections is simply too much for Jack Warner and the PNM.
They appear to have already run out of steam. Mrs. Persad-Bissessar has consistently been presenting coherent messages for the future of T&T whilst Jack and Rowley have resorted to playing a tag team. They seem obsessed about her clothing and the innermost compartments of her bedroom.
Since Jack "took off his gloves," we have not witnessed any serious campaigning efforts by the PNM. The only reasonable inference from such inaction at a critical time like this is that there is tacit agreement that Jack will take the lead for now.
Jack said earlier this week that the PNM's work is cut out for them and the ILP's work is cut out for the ILP. They both share the common political enemy, the PP. Jack is clearly taking aim again, as he did in the last local government elections, at upsetting the PP's chances in the marginal seats.
The PNM appear to deliver coded messages like the 'Calcutta Ship' and 'alligators swimming in murky lagoons.' T&T Mirror columnist Juliet Davy, who is also a PNM activist, openly stated on social media that it is the hindu practice for Indian women to use seduction as a tool to destroy powerful men.
In a press release published in another daily newspaper on Tuesday last, I drew parallels between this latest racist statement and the "hostile and recalcitrant minority," statement made by Dr. Eric Williams when the PNM lost the Federal Elections in 1958. I have also elsewhere pointed to the fact that Mr. Jack Warner does not have a problem with Hindu women in Trinidad & Tobago, but that he has a problem with one woman based in Washington. She is the Attorney General of the US and her name is Loretta Lynch.
Deputy Chief Secretary of Tobago House of Assembly, Hilton Sandy, stated on a PNM platform during the last THA elections that a Calcutta Ship was coming for Tobagonians if the PP/TOP won the THA elections. Dr. Keith Rowley was present and said nothing. But as leader of the PNM he stated that former AG Anand Ramlogan had made racist remarks at the New York Mission when in fact the former AG had never even travelled to New York.
In the last Chaguanas West by-election, Guyanese Jailal Kissoon appeared on Warner's ILP platform and made references to stealing from "Indian people," "black man" and "white man." Jack also recently referred to the colour of his skin as compared with the skin of two other businessmen in an attempt to suggest that race was at play.
In the political campaign season some politicians make racist and vulgar comments but these are viewed as picong and ole talk. When others respond, it is viewed as racism again rearing its ugly head.
Take for instance Dr. Rowley's recent remarks in response to banners bearing the Hindu 'Om' symbol with a caption, "Rowley and Warner stop attacking our families." Rowley's interpretation of this, as mentioned in the Express, was seen as an attempt to generate hatred against the PNM from the Hindu population.
The media on the other hand, has unfairly subjected the citizenry to Jack's intellectually debilitating utterances. At one point he even sought to support his views with a satirical newspaper named the Onion. A foreign comedian joked that in T&T anyone can buy air time and say what they want. What is not funny though is that the local media seem bent on publishing everything Jack says as being truthful without conducting any type of journalistic investigation.
Jack's latest occupation is to pummel the Prime Minister relentlessly as he seeks to assist the PNM in corralling votes. Jack, Rowley and indiscriminate publishing have directly resulted in reducing the politics of this nation to an all-time low.
The PNM's way forward could simply be to repeal everything achieved by the PP and push the nation sharply to the brink where it was in May 2010. Despite the PP's huge successes in government, it has had to, and continues to battle, with the fact that people are somewhat numb to its successes. This numbness is a product of national impatience. Everyone wants their needs addressed and desires fulfilled immediately by the PP.
Some do not want to hear or be reminded of how much worse it was under the PNM and others feel five years was enough time to remedy all issues facing the people. Citizens must ask the critical question as to whether they are better off today than they were under the previous PNM administrations.If the answer is in the affirmative, they should give meaning to the PP slogan, 'one good term deserves another!'