Prakash Ramadhar's call for Jack Warner to "stand down" as a member of Government pending the outcome of the matter at FIFA is the most idiotic statement any member of the Cabinet could have made. But for Ramadhar it is so absurd that it defies even basic know-ledge of Cabinet protocol. Let us start by acknowledging that the award of a ministry is a "gift" by the Prime Minister, thus by that token she should be the person to retain or revoke that gift and any member of the Cabinet is thereafter usurping the function of the PM, which is not only wrong but offensive.
The position is even more offensive as the PM had set the stage by announcing publicly in advance that she would say or do nothing in response to the FIFA matter until she has had a full report on it. Naturally, she expected all members of her Cabinet to be guided accordingly. Thus any member of the Cabinet publicly expressing an opposing position is thereby questioning the authority of the PM or the soundness of her statement. Is Ramadhar challenging his PM? There is another important side to this story which is that by calling on Warner to stand down it means that Ramadhar would not feel comfortable sitting around the same table as a man he believes ought not to be there.
Will Ramadhar himself stand down as a Cabinet minister until the position is resolved so that he can feel comfortably seated in Cabinet? Had Warner been a member of the COP, one would have understood if Ramadhar had called on his party member to stand down as a member of that party until the executive deals with the matter. In any case, how would the members of the COP react to his quest to be the leader of that party?
Atta KO Kujifi
Champs Fleurs