The Prime Minister of Trinidad, when she was elected said her government would respect the rule of law and no corruption perceived or real would be tolerated. Kamla Persad-Bissessar said what she meant and meant what she said and have demonstrated that in no uncertain terms during her entire leadership over the last five years.
Let’s do a quick review of how this Prime Minister has acted vs our own
Eighteen people lost either their ministerial portfolio, their senatorial seat or both since the People’s Partnership administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, came into office less than four years ago.
These 18 were either members of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Eleven ministers were fired. They were Mary King, Subhas Panday, Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, Nan Ramgoolam, Verna St Rose Greaves, Collin Partap, Herbert Volney, John Sandy, Christlyn Moore, Jamal Mohammed and Glenn Ramadharsingh.
Of the 11 fired, four were axed in response to specific allegations—Partap, Volney, King and Ramadharsingh—while the other seven lost their portfolio as the result of a Cabinet reshuffle.
Additionally two ministers—Jack Warner and now Chandresh Sharma—resigned, following specific adverse allegations.
March 26, 2014 Jamaica Observer excerpts below.
“Out of the 11 people fired, four were axed in response to specific allegations. In May 2011, Mary King became the first minister to be dismissed in this Government, following allegations of conflict of interest in the award of a contract. Next in line was minister in the Ministry of National Security Collin Partap in August 2012, following allegations that he refused to take a breathalyser test after leaving a nightclub. One month later, then Justice Minister Herbert Volney was given the boot for allegedly misleading the Cabinet over the Section 34 fiasco.
“Now Ramadharsingh has been dismissed as minister of the people and social development. Sources said yesterday there were calls for Ramadharsingh to resign his Caroni Central seat in the Parliament as well, a seat which the UNC has never lost and is therefore considered very winnable for that party.
“Apart from having a specific infraction levelled at them, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has also fired ministers for apparent non-performance. In these instances she gave the vague reason of Cabinet reorganisation. In June 2011, Subhas Panday, minister in the National Security Ministry, was relieved of his portfolio in the first Cabinet reshuffle, along with Therese Baptiste-Cornelis and Nan Ramgoolam. They were all senators and were replaced by Devant Maharaj, Verna St Rose-Greaves and Nicole Dyer Griffith (who was a parliamentary secretary).
Yesterday the Trinidadian Prime Minister was at it again, firing her Minister of National Security and her Attorney General and has eyes set on replacing her Justice Minister. She did not stop there, she also removed the senate President and he is to be replaced in what one could call one of the biggest shake up any democratic country in the Caribbean has ever witnessed .
Kamla Persad-Bissessar has demonstrated real leadership, something that is sadly lacking in Jamaica and particularly under the PNP government led by Portia Simpson Miller, who has fought tooth and nail to protect her ministers vs giving them the boot for failure to perform to optimum standard or political interference as has been the case with Phillip Paulwell and Richard Azan.
I said this before and I will say it again, Trinidad is not the leading economy in the region by accident or simply because it has oil, it is where it is because the leadership hold themselves accountable and the people hold the leaders accountable.
When leaders in Trinidad screw up, they can expect no shelter under the”frock tail” of their Prime Minister simply because they are party members, instead they can pack their packs and go or wait around to be fired!
If Jamaica had the large deposits of oil as Trinidad and Trinidad had bauxite and Tourism, Trinidad would still be ahead of Jamaica as we would mismanage and forward sell oil like Dr Omar Davis did with bauxite and the country would never see the true benefits of the commodity.
Portia Simpson Miller, the PNP , the private sectors and civil society may all seek to learn from the recent events in Trinidad, how effective leadership works and what accountability really means, as clearly there exist a serious deficit of this in Jamaica.
Hats off to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, you are a REAL LEADER, unlike the Wannbe “leader” who we have in Jamaica , one who appears to be allergic to the microphone and probing reporters when it comes unto the very important issues plaguing Jamaica.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is not afraid on anyone, she does not fear being criticized and does not spend a lot of time “defending” her leadership, instead she spends her time holding her cabinet minister accountable for their actions and does not seek to protect them, when the violate the rules of engagement.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar should be seconded to Jamaica for 5 years to set this country straight !
Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the real big female Caribbean Prime Minister, job well done ,Madame Prime Minister, you have restored my faith somewhat in Caribbean leadership.
Portia Simpson Miller I am sure will not feel uncomfortable at all by the recent events in Trinidad, after-all Trinidad is no Jamaica and “ I don’t have to do anything that drastic to win the next election, plus if I were to fire Phillip Paulwell, Dr Omar Davis, Robert Pickersgill, Anthony Hlyton and AJ Nicolson, who would I replace them with.”
“There is no way I could do that, as even though that would be the correct thing to do given they are non performers, that would ruin my chances of winning the next elections as comrades would be upset and that is not a chance a would want to take at this time, remember I have my legacy to protect, I am a career politician unlike Kamla Persad-Bissessar”.
“The poor people who make up the bulk of voters in Jamaica simply love me and adore me, they see me as a caring leader, one who looks about their interest, so why should I move to change this, there is no way I am going to take that risk at all even if it would benefit Jamaica and herald in a new type of leadership in the PNP, its just too much risk.”
“I have my legacy to protect, I am a career politician unlike Kamla Persad-Bissessar”.
Bless
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