Who is really behind Section 34?

The firing of former Justice Minister Herbert Volney for his role in the proclamation of Section 34 wasn’t a surprise to many. What is clear to us is that Volney didn’t act alone and he was made the “scapegoat” in the Section 34 fiasco, especially when other legal minds and ministers had a hand to play in this matter. What is uncertain, however, is how far up the chain of command it went. What was the real intention of and who was really behind the Section 34 proclamation?

What is surprising to us is that mere days after the US embassy issued a press release on the fiasco, the Prime Minister called for a sitting of Parliament to repeal Section 34. If this fiasco wasn’t dealt with expeditiously, the backlash would have negatively affected the relationship between T&T and the US. This just goes show that while we are celebrating 50 years as an independent nation, our sovereignty is still being controlled by outside forces.

In the circumstances, we as citizens must unite as one and create the environment to transform the society into one where everyone counts and there is good governance, integrity in public office, social justice and equity for all.

Vivian J Reyes
Port-of-Spain