It has been a tumultuous ten days. It started with the killing of a policeman followed by the police shooting of three “suspects” in circumstances which demand an inquiry. It continued with “localised” but widespread community protests leading to unsubstantiated claims that the protesters were paid by criminal elements to foment unrest. Perhaps this was the criminal element’s way of negotiating bigger contracts? This was followed by the death of a female bystander in a confrontation with police. On Saturday, the newspapers reported the closure of yet another Pt Lisas plant. Government revenues will be depressed for the foreseeable future.
Punctuating this string of bad news and perhaps distracting from it, the Prime Minister announced the dissolution of Parliament and the announcement of August 10 as the election date. The election and the hurricane season are now conjoined.
Incumbency allows the ruling party to choose the timing best suited to its chances of re-election. The country has been in election mode for the last nine months and its themes are set; corruption and the country’s economic performance flavoured with an appeal to tribal instincts. The choice of election date betrays some cynicism, somewhere between CXC and SEA exams. Some 25 per cent of the population will be focused on helping their children through these exams, reducing their attention span and the time allowed for election issues. COVID-19 has given the PNM a springboard. Better to use whatever goodwill that arose from the pandemic before it dissipated, and the recovery committee has presented the manifesto platform.
The subtext has been institutional inadequacy and failure.
Dr Rowley noted the legitimate demands of the protesters and the weakness of the Police Complaints Authority in his press conference. Gillian Lucky flagged those weaknesses when she headed the PCA in 2012. Whilst the PCA may have wide powers under the act, in typical T&T style, it has no resources to give effect to those powers. Its officers are not precepted, have no authority to carry weapons even for their protection and their investigative ability is sharply restricted.
How is the PCA expected to bring rogue police officers to account if there is no power to ensure that those under investigation cannot tamper with or influence the investigation? As far as the public is aware, all officers involved in the shootings remain on active duty, material evidence has not been secured, no investigator has been appointed and no officer has been taken in for questioning. Nor does the PCA have the power to enforce these simple steps. Worse, processing forensic evidence takes an unconscionably long time.
This week, Hayden Romano, managing director of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), acknowledged the many reports of increased squatting all over the country. He noted that state agencies should collaborate and develop a policy position to end squatting and land grabbing. Really? After 25 years of operation, the EMA is talking about policy, not coordinated action?
Like many countries, T&T’s economy will decline this year. Unlike many countries, there are no realistic estimates of the extent of the decline in 2020 or 2019, especially its impact on unemployment. The finance minister’s estimate of -2.4 per cent, like his estimate that the economy has turned around, is simply not credible amounting to little more than political deceit.
In December 2019 CSO’s head noted that he did not have the legislative power to demand government departments to deliver economic data on time and that he was awaiting the necessary changes which were being deliberated by a joint select committee. The provision of timely economic data is critical for the management of any business and even more so in the management of a country. Is it too much to expect that economic data should be routinely published in a timely fashion?
On July 1 ACP Totaram Dookhie, the lead investigator on several high-profile cases (Marlene McDonald, Camille Robinson-Regis, ACP Hackshaw) was arrested by ten policemen and released later in the day. No charges were laid. Was this intimidation, and if so, on whose behalf and to what intent? What are we to say of the Integrity Commission in all this?
This a watershed moment. None of the events or shortcomings outlined herein is new. Correcting them requires political will. Will the result of the election give us the confidence to believe that T&T is in good hands and that we can solve our problems?
T&T needs a disciplined and coherent approach and the leadership to effect the transformation so desperately needed. Unfortunately, the choices only afford the least bad alternative.