Dear Editor,
Am I to understand that if a candidate worked hard during an election campaign, the individual is entitled to be a minister or becomes an automatic qualifier for the executive branch of government? I was shocked (but not entirely) when former commissioner Julian Rollocks Sr. emphasised that Rollocks Jr. worked hard during the January 11, 2024 elections, but seemed very disappointed that his son was excluded.
I don’t like to speculate, but this is the impression that I got. So, because his son worked hard, the party should have given him a ministry? Mr. Rollocks Sr., please tell me that I misunderstood. If not, I will shift this conversation to a different gear. So, only the candidates who worked hard, should be ministers and those who did not, must remain in parliament? Now I’m forced to wonder what his definition of hard work is.
What was missing from the conversation is that, if his son was appointed as a minister, wouldn’t he have been his legal advisor and the “minister,” only not on paper? It must be very upsetting to know that he was deprived of the opportunity to create history (after all, he is building his family legacy) to work side by side with his son. Or, was this a delicate comeback into the political arena, indirectly?
I’ll come out of 2nd gear and shift to 3rd. I know that I am not puzzled, but this kind of situation extends my perspective on not just politics in general, but the mindset of human beings. As I look back on some of the ferocious exchanges with former commissioner Julian Rollocks and his colleagues, is he still trying to convince this public that he would have stayed on the sidelines, while his son controls a ministry? Absolutely not!
The situation also brings me to question the genuineness of his book that he published a few years ago. Because, if his book highlights the danger of greed and corruption to the country, then why lament over the fact that his son was not selected to serve as a minister? A father or author, who truly believes in the title of his book and its content, would never have agreed that the number of votes received is a ticket to the position as a minister.
Truly, all that glitters is not gold. When I heard about the book, the title captured my attention immediately, and I promised myself to get a copy. It so happened that before I could purchase a copy, one was presented to me. The strange thing is that, I haven’t read it. Now that this issue is still unsettled (which should have faded), the urge to disregard the book has multiplied, because I see a conflict between the book and this situation.
I expected a different point of view from former commissioner Julian Rollocks Sr., especially when he knows better. I expected him to speak to other aspiring youngsters about the honour and reward of being a member of parliament, and admonished them not to follow the path of greed and corruption, but it’s obvious that we do not share the same opinion.
Joslyn Morton
