Senior Reporter
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman Marvin Gonzales is voicing serious concern over what he describes as an imbalanced ethnic and racial composition among the newly appointed State boards under the United National Congress (UNC) Government.
“When I look at it, I wonder if we’re living in Bangladesh or Delhi,” Gonzales bluntly declared at an Opposition media briefing at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Gonzales argued that the State boards chosen so far comprised predominantly of members from one particular race, a scenario he argued would never have been approved by former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley.
“You couldn’t bring a cabinet note by Dr Keith Christopher Rowley with only a certain race being represented. It must represent Trinidad and Tobago. That is how a PNM cabinet conducted itself,” Gonzales said.
Acknowledging Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, who was also in the room, Gonzales said appointing board members was a laborious task, as Rowley, and even former finance minister Colm Imbert, would pull no punches and did not mince his words when he questioned the cabinet about the racial composition of the various boards.
“And he would ask you directly, is that board being taken from India, if it only represents a particular race, or is it a board from Ghana? And I remember minister Imbert, as the corporation sole, would ask you, even before cabinet, is that a board from Mozambique?”
He added, “Because as far as the PNM is concerned, the appointment of State boards and persons and citizens who are qualified to serve on State boards, it must represent a diverse society like Trinidad and Tobago.” The PNM chairman said this development should be of concern to the citizenry.
“If it doesn’t trouble you, then I don’t know what going to trouble us as a society.”
Gonzales also voiced concern over the political affiliations of some appointees to state positions.
On Tuesday, UNC campaign manager Feeroze Khan was appointed as the new programme manager of the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP).
“And then you are seeing many of them being affiliated with Government ministers, campaign managers,” Gonzales added.
He said this reeks of “political hypocrisy to the highest”. “And the same people, one of them Padarath-ing, job for the boys and job for the girls, PNM boys and PNM girls, in true Padarath style. And in the same way, jobs for the boys, job for the PNM boys, jobs for the PNM girls. Look at who are the UNC girls, and the UNC boys, doing the same thing.”
Guardian Media attempted to get a response from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday but this was unsuccessful.
However, political analyst Dr Indera Sagewan said she believes the PNM was being hypocritical with its assertion.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Dr Sagewan said, “Let me start by saying I subscribe to competence and fit for purpose over race, but understand that in a country like ours, at the level of governance, effort should be made to reflect the composite racial blend of the country, once the first two criteria are met. That said, no PNM minister has the moral authority to express concern over the ethic mix of boards under the new government! It amounts to the pot calling the kettle black!!”
Contacted yesterday, political analyst Dr Winford James was also disappointed with Gonzales’ choice of words.
“It’s a PNM thing, you know, PNM always uses the race card. And they always feel in a self-righteous way that the way they do it is the way.”
Dr James said if Gonzales is seeking a long political career, he should refrain from using language that is unnecessarily offensive and has racist undertones.
“We have been living in this country together for too long for us to be making disparaging comments of the kind. So, if he has proof to the contrary, well, he must present that proof to the public for the public consumption.”
But Gonzales is not alone in raising such concerns.
National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) general secretary Michael Annisette previously expressed concerns about the composition of boards under the UNC Government.
Annisette said the boards lack sufficient ethnic and class diversity. He called on the UNC to “rise above” ethnic and race politics and demonstrate diversity not only in words but in actions.
He stressed the importance of having more balanced boards, not dominated by one ethnicity. He argued that the current Government should not repeat the “missteps” of the previous administration in this regard.