Censure motion a waste of govt time

A colossal waste of valuable parliamentary time and an exercise in utter futility. That’s the only way I can think of this motion of censure to be debated against the Attorney General and tabled in the legislature by the opposition People’s National Movement.

To start with, the measure is bound to fail in that the government members far outnumber those of the loyal opposition, so what tangible benefit can Dr Rowley and his team derive from such a move? It is true that the Opposition is a necessary entity in any democratic state and its role is to remove the government through lawful and constitutional means.

It does so by presenting itself as a credible alternative to the incumbent regime. Apart from the diehard PNM can anyone say that the present PNM is performing that role in a satisfactory manner? Instead of trying to embarrass the AG, which is the only thing I see coming out of the debate—the opposition would be well advised to deal with more pressing matters like the untenable crime situation and not just by bad-mouthing statistics being put out by the government.

Nobody is saying that the PNM has a magic wand to solve the problem because under their watch they failed to bring it under manageable proportion. What can be done if they should co-operate with the government and come up with constructive solutions...two heads are better than one.

Oh, oh, I now remember them saying they would no longer co-operate with the administration because of the controversial Section 34 which triggered the filing of the motion. Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar did what I thought Rowley and his buddies should have done a long time ago—visit Laventille and express their concern about the crime plaguing that and other areas which are represented in the parliament by the PNM.

Whether it was a publicity stunt or not it does not matter; the fact she was bold enough to take that initiative which to me sent a powerful message to the residents that indeed by that gesture the government is concerned about the anti-social behaviour being undertaken by some residents in those “hot spots” who by no means are in the majority of people living there.

Unfortunately I cannot remember any other Prime Minister except Basdeo Panday visiting those districts outside of a general election period. What a price to pay for consistently returning that party very five years! Former Prime Minister Panday once said that when he was in opposition that they were not there to make the government look good and if Rowley is of that persuasion I think he is on the wrong path.

Crime is everybody’s headache and if it can be seen that the opposition is interested in assisting in reducing the crime rate the population would be more inclined to take a second look at the PNM after that humiliating defeat of May 2010 of which I suspect most diehard PNMites are yet to get over.

One cannot hope to form a government by engaging in ole talk, rumours and bussing mark without sustainable evidence. The population is now much political savvy than they were say 50 years ago. I was once told that the current PNM leadership doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to restore the people’s confidence in that party.

That position would be proved or disproved by the way Rowley and his team conduct their business and I don’t think that thus far they have. It is never too late to make a turnaround but calling for senseless motions like censuring government ministers is not the way to go in my humble opinion. This motion is destined to fall by the wayside just like the no-confidence motion in the Prime Minister.

It is like the calls being made by the PNM and their cohorts to have the Prime Minister hold a general election before it is constitutionally due. It just doesn’t make sense. Does Rowley really feel that the PNM can win a general election any time soon? Does he feel that the sins of the last PNM regime have been forgiven by a very discerning electorate?

It is true that the PP administration has been going through a terrible period, most of it caused by their own missteps and mis-whatever, but are these sufficient for her to call a snap general election? I think not.