Continuing from last week...
The People's Partnership coalition may be the very first in the nation's history to be responsible for the most contentious and fatally flawed decision on national security and intelligence. Such a fulminating decision exposed the demerits of apparent favouritism, selective discrimination, a form of apartheid thinking and a rather retrograde step in enhancing transparency and accountability. Now, is this the type of change that was promised to the population? How did this all occur under a Government that promised so much on transparency, accountability and change?
If we apply any reasonable and coherent standard in the Reshmi Ramnarine debacle, a very meaningful and constructive investigation would lay bare before the public a deliberate, well-contrived act of covert deception. One designed to mislead, distort and obfuscate the entire population. This supposed well-orchestrated plan was apparently conceived in the womb of mysterious secrecy, buttressed by very serious allegations of educational fraud and calculated to deceive. It is a classic example of consummate craft and bewildering sophistry. Such secretive manipulations and revelations were not supposed to be disclosed to the public. That it came out in the open, indicates the folly of dependence on human wisdom as opposed to the Divine.
Thus is the scriptures fulfilled, "there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid that shall not be made known." As such, this therefore begs the first question-why was Reshmi Ramnarine, a junior technician at the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA), singled out for this preferential treatment? What was so special and unique about her skills and capabilities that reportedly facilitated such a massive jump from $5,000 monthly to $50,000, and vaulted her to the position as Interim Director of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), with initial endorsement of Cabinet? What about the legitimate career aspirations and expectations of those senior to her who may have been desirous of ascending the ladder? Was the rule of law, procedural fairness and equal opportunity confined to the dustbin of history? What kind of intelligent decision is this?
That the facts began to unfold daily had the Government scampering to defuse the ignited spark and to rebuild its tarnished image and scarred reputation. The most disturbing and unconvincing statements emanating from some ministers and advisory personnel served only to fan the flames of embarrassment and humiliation. In particular, when attention was focused to make one of the Deputy Directors of the SSA, Julie Browne, the mastermind behind the fiasco, the crisis only deepened. As is well known, Ms Browne would have been acting on instructions from a senior Government official, and not on her own volition. In any event, it should be borne in mind that despite the current Carnival atmosphere, the PP Government cannot absolve itself from this crisis without full disclosure. Failure to be honest with the public will negate all efforts of whatever reserve is left of accountability. If heads do not roll, as is well known in this country, the burning question remains as to whether this Government has the moral capacity to lead this Trinidad and Tobago.
"You must tell us when we make a mistake." -a statement made by the PM. There are significant questions that linger in the public domain. Such questions that need answers include, which Government official requested that Julie Browne perform a "miracle" with Reshmi's CV, or who recommended her for the position? Even if Julie Brown endorsed Reshmi Ramnarine for the position, what happened to the individual and collective intelligences of the Cabinet and the National Security Council? With so many legally trained minds in the Cabinet accustomed to having evidence adduced before them, what went wrong with their probing and investigative analysis?
Additionally, this must surely be a perplexing time for Minister Sandy, accustomed to having men under his control obeying orders. But this is the second occasion that he appears to have his sound intelligence insulted. On the first occasion, as the Minister of National Security, he did not know that he was being wiretapped. And now, the alleged unique circumstances surrounding the surprise, yet now defunct appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine to the top intelligence post. As is very evident, this was not a mistake nor error, but mammoth deception, and 'to move on', there needs to be full disclosure, as there are many similarities between the recent disclosures of the 1990 Commission of Enquiry and the Reshmi Ramnarine fiasco.
The aura of humility that strode the platform of the Fyzabad Declaration and the taking of oaths on holy books such as the Bhagvad Gita, the Bible and the Qur'an at the inauguration of the new Government appears to have been forgotten in the intelligence crisis. It is a fact that in a crisis, the substance of character is revealed. This was a national crisis when the nation needed men and women to stand up for principles of integrity and morality, and not to sacrifice such noble traits on the altar of political expediency. Good as the honorable Prime Minister's intentions may be, there is a developing crisis of leadership, management and purposive direction in national security.