Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 23/Aug 07:03

Government going where it has no place

THE EDITOR: There are many things that have a national characteristic about them yet they cannot be fully representative for certain uses because they do not reflect the nation's diversity along with its historical root. The steelpan should not be on the coat of arms for this reason. Similarly, a sprinter on one side and a batsman on the other side would not belong on the emblem. The Government is admitting that it wants reform of the Constitution when it does not have anything like the needed votes to make any change whatsoever; at the same time oppressing the existing Constitution and its structures. This speaks badly about its sense of integrity in the service of common good and honesty in accepting office. No-one is ever elected for that. This reflects back again in the sudden emphasis on the steelpan. Until you have enough votes for constitutional reform, leave the coat of arms alone. As was said during the last Patrick Manning administration, stop wasting money on constitutional review. The Government is in a dimension of desperation, grasping at straws to try to save face. It failed over two terms to deal with financial drains. Its policies made those bleeds worse. Its economic strategy is not only absurd, it has no real future and is bound to come undone. It wants to force an executive-style government onto everything against the Constitution, good will and good sense. Even as it pushes for that, it proves how bad it is at understanding present realities and respecting rights. It then has the shame-facedness to argue about new "constitution" destructured ideas that in fact are legalese ephemera that will achieve nothing more than despotic rule. And it pitches these things at PNM youth to manipulate some kind of constituency and dream out of them. It cannot think about anything except in terms of force and disruption and manoeuvres like put-off-and-try-again; and never belonged in Government. It is not a "beggar at the door" of the Privy Council; rather it scrapes around for things to do. Yes, waiting 40 years to do this was very "long-brain." But what precedent is it? PM Rowley and his Government are overstepping where they have no place; and like the foray into constitutional reform, it is because they have nothing true to offer this land. E GALY via e-mail The post Government going where it has no place appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.