Constitutional reform should limit a prime minister to two terms, with a ten-year maximum, to allow for successorship planning, says Independent Senator Subhas Ramkhelawan. "Because it seems as though there is the feeling in our small society that once you land the job, it is almost a job for life," Ramkhelawan added in the Senate yesterday. His comments came as he piloted a motion concerning constitutional reform proposals raised by the PNM and People's Partnership administrations. Speaking in the presence of a team of visiting Canadian parliamentarians, Ramkhelawan outlined T&T's constitution, saying T&T was a place where anyone could rise to the top.
He added: "A lady selling bodhi in the Penal market could rise to become prime minister of T&T and a man who, by his own admission, had to wear garments made from flour bags also could become prime minister." Ramkhelawan also noted his position as a senator, adding: "Even I , as a country boy, whose navel string is buried in Oropouche Lagoon," Ramkhelawan quoted from Benjai's calypso, saying: "I'm a Trini..." On the PP's proposal for a fixed number of terms for a prime minister, Ramkhelawan said there was the question of the longevity of a leader.
He said there was need to correct and rebalance that area in a society as small as T&T. Ramkhelwan said history had shown that in the early PNM administration there would have been a decimation of potential successors... "because we have gotten to the stage where we don't want a successor, when you think that you have a job that ought not to be limited to two terms," he added. He said one had to recall the "trials and travails" of Karl Hudson Phillips and Arthur NR Robinson in the PNM. He said the same situation resulted in internecine warfare in the UNC.
Ramkhelawan added: "Longevity and lifelong position appears to be the objective, so the whole issue of a successor or successorship planning - a critical part of a corporation or organisation - seems to be set aside and what we had is where organisations run aground because of no new leadership and probably no new thinking. "We've seen that to be the case in the PNM and we have seen that to be the case in the UNC. I see some issues also arising in the COP but I don't know necessarily how serious or now deep-rooted that might be," Ramkhelawan added: "But in any event they (COP) are not in power. They are a party in power but they are not the leading light in the administration," Suggesting a two-term, maximum ten-year period, for a prime minister, Ramkhelawan said by the second term a leader could get into "who we go put" mode and political aspirants could move to the top with proper grooming.
He said the system was rooted in the US format where the president had eight years maximum.
Ramkhelawan said constitutional reform should include redefining the roles of the Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions and Ministers of Justice and Legal Affairs. He said that was to ensure effectiveness of prosecution, detection conviction and governance. He noted the Attorney General's recent concerns about charging certain people and his inability to do so. Ramkhelwan called for proportional representation (PR) to be put on the agenda to allow representation of all voters, including where third parties were concerned.
Noting the situations concerning the ONR and COP, he said the current first-past-the-post system did not fully allow such representation. Noting that both the ONR and COP were part of coalition governments, he raised the question of what would transpire in the event of break-up. Ramkhelawan supported the idea of an executive president where there was clear separation between the legislative and executive but not in the way the PNM had proposed. He said the PP's proposed right of recall must be treated carefully and he recommended constitutional reform should decide on a final court of appeal for T&T, away from the Privy Council, since local courts were handling matters well. Ramkhelawan said he supported a fixed date for election. He noted one leader said he had the election date in his backpocket "...on a handkerchief," Ramkhelawan said.