TOWARDS A SINGLE GRENADIAN POLITICAL TRIBE

The Crazy "Bold Head cannot change his words 

It’s official! Peter said he wanted an end to tribal politics, but his newly-beloved leader (PM Mitchell) is only prepared to pay $40,000 to achieve it! In a manner of speaking, poor Peter gets only forty pieces of ‘green-tarnished’ silver for his beguiled efforts! So the creation of one Grenadian tribe, presumably led by Keete as chief and Peete as shadowy chief; conceived in political intrigue and dreams of a one - party state, cannot be accepted as a serious goal of national development as currently presented.

If you run a country for thirteen straight years, and a mere four years later you are posing disunity as a national issue of grave concern, then you are in fact accepting that you contributed big time to Grenada being a divided nation. Although, of course, you do not openly admit to the sorry effects of your deeds and misdeeds.

When you are joined by what the original NNP-ites grudgingly call “THE INCLUSION”, on account of the deal between the newly-beloved leader and Peter and his cohorts, then all right-thinking Grenadians know that this is not for real. They also know that the delivery of unity of the Grenadian people, just as the creation of jobs for the youths, is far, far, far away!

Those of us who are old enough know full well that there have been two dominant ‘tribal brands’ in our politics, the NJM and the NNP. In the case of the latter, you had to belong as a member, supporter or sympathiser to receive as favours that which should ordinarily be your basic right as a citizen of Grenada. In the case of the former, the party type was outright elitist and there was no “freedom” or “openness” of membership.

Today one can find little hurricane-relief houses occupied by poor people painted in green and white. Some small business people have also painted their buildings in those colours. And there are party people who can only find green-coloured clothes to wear around town! 

The situation in the Public Service is no different. Do you think that Timothy Antoine would be PS Finance today if he was considered or known to be an NDC supporter? Do you think that he is valued simply because he dresses up the budget speech with quotations from the Bible? Hell no! Look at the actions already taken against certain Public Officers and Police Officers. 

Look out for impending actions against persons serving in Offices such as the Governor-General’s Office, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Integrity Commission, the Houses of Parliament and the Audit Department. When persons there are victimised, before the end of 2013, are we as good citizens to take private note and remain quiet in the name of national unity? Should we all refuse to blog on these actions as Hamlet Mark is now resolved to sing a different song? When justice and fairness cry out in the streets of Grenville and Gouyave, are we to expect any help from Pastor Stanford?

Now tell me was it really necessary to return our youth to the so-called IMANI Program? And was Sir Carlyle not honourable and distinguished enough to continue to serve as Governor-General? Could Peter’s ‘newly–beloved’ leader not benefit from the wisdom and dignity of Sir Carlyle? 

What do you have to say about appointments to the diplomatic service where no Public Officer is fit enough for a high level appointment? Under the NDC, there were two such appointees, nothing based on party politics. Guess the popular answer will be that that is politics. Well, if all of that is simply common-place politics, then how does that lead us towards the goal of national unity?

Leading by favoritism, victimization and political fiat cannot encourage national unity. Leadership that is money-chromed and narrow-minded cannot genuinely embrace national unity. Learning processes that fail to cause deep personal change cannot inspire national unity. Labour that is lacking in dignity and honour cannot produce national unity. Laying foundations for economic development through casino gambling while deliberately relegating and cancelling the role of the Church cannot guarantee national unity.

Trigger your memory now of the one who spoke out at his Town Hall meeting in Hindsey School, following his resignation from the NDC Government. Recall his concerns over what he called tribalism, allegedly practised by the NDC. Today, he dare not protest at his newly-beloved leader over blatant examples of ‘tribal’ politics, NNP style. In this case, tribalism as practised by his newly-beloved leader is obviously quite in order and fully acceptable to Peter David. He is certainly not about to withdraw from his reward-filled union with the NNP over such trivial matters. Talk about insincerity and pay-day politics!

Given the ‘green’ political overlay pervading almost everything in the society since February 19th, one is constrained to ask, what is the definition of national unity now being spoken of as an important public policy issue? So far, there has been no elaboration of the problem, its nature or its scope. In such circumstances, it is fair game to contend that the real intention is to contrive a situation where there is virtually no examination or criticism of the NNP regime, in the faked name of national unity. Put plainly, it smacks of a very cheap political ploy to create a one-party state. All of it is nothing more than cheap talk of unity. Sadly, local politics appears to be getting cheaper and cheaper! Our democracy and our freedoms will both be devalued and diminished in quick time.

Money cannot buy national unity. Keete and Peete, you are wrong again! 

THE CONGO PEPPER FILES