I am always marvelled by the world of politics and politicians in general. The name of the game is getting into power and providing governance. The road to satisfying governance is sometimes filled with bumps and hiccups along the way. To reach the final destination at times requires good driving skills, with even changing drivers occasionally. The new driver must be able to manoeuvre the vehicle better than the previous one. Looking at the reshuffle of ministerial posts by the Prime Minister, one must ask if some of the changes made were efficiently thought-out. The Prime Minister stated that she would evaluate her ministers over a period of time, and if their performances were not up to standard, she would make necessary changes.
This is an acceptable position since the masses need to see a leader take the high road for future development of the nation. Over the last couple of months, this coalition government has been shrouded in controversy after controversy. It never envisioned being in these situations as early as its first year in government. Somehow, some of the things it thought were under the carpet suddenly came into the light.
It started with the Reshmi scandal, followed by the Mary King scandal and most recently the Sasha scandal. Nor can we forget the Prime Minister's stay at the Gopauls' residence and they being tipped to obtain a massive NP contract; the Minister of Works and Transport having conflicts with the Caribbean Airlines board of directors, and the same minister embroiled in a FIFA scandal.
Getting back to the bumpy road, we as passengers must make comparisons of the past and present drivers. Was the performance of the Energy Minister that bad to merit a change, or was it a move to get her out of that ministry? I only hope that the stance she took when the NP scandal broke was not the factor that worked against her. As for the splitting of the Ministry of Works and Transport into two separate ministries, could this be a move so that the CA board chairman has his way? I hope that this reshuffle was done in good spirits and in consultation with all the partners of the People's Partnership. Lack of this could only spell bad blood among the parties in the coalition. The Prime Minister must ensure that good relations and consultations are a priority in order for this Government to meet its mandate and stay in power for five years.
Gary Watche
Via e-mail