Dear Editor,
Before I bite into the topic at hand, allow me to wish everyone a most blessed and rewarding year. I sincerely hope that 2016 would be the year when each individual pursues intellectual and economic opportunities to advance one’s current situation.
Now that this is out of the way I can proceed with what I perceived to be a situation that is worrisome. First, I became very disappointed when I listened to the speeches that were presented by our Prime Minister William Marlin. With all the turmoil that the island has experienced in 2015, I expected to have heard words of comfort, tranquillity and togetherness – expressions that should have reflected the reason for the season.
Likewise, whenever a prime minister delivers his or her New Year’s address, it usually sets the tone for hope – a moment that inspires one to think of creative ways to move forward. In my view, both speeches fell short of their intended messages.
It is a known fact that Prime Minister William Marlin does his presentations from the heart; here is where he connects better with the people. Therefore, these prepared speeches did not help him at all. My conclusion is that the prime minister did not write those speeches nor did he peruse them in advance. This is not good and for this reason; I am urging the prime minister to write his own speech or simply revert to the medium that he is comfortable with. From the two bloopers it is evident that his speech writer is hanging him out in the sun.
Secondly, there was a big uproar when members of the then coalition presented the governing accord to the past government. Beside the lack of content, realistic initiatives and the time frame in which these proposals were to be achieved, the separation of powers was a real sticking point of the discontentment. Now that the situation is different it okay for the new council of ministers to organize a retreat that included the eight Members of Parliament who support the government? Doesn’t the separation of powers still exists?
I understand clearly that there is a limited amount time allotted to accomplish certain initiatives, but it does not mean that integrity must be compromised or ignore the fact that Parliament still oversees the running of government. There is absolutely nothing wrong in having the retreat to level out certain issues, but the gathering should have taken place among the council of ministers only. When the logistics have been finalised, then the government takes it to Parliament. In the House of Parliament is where parliamentarians approve or disapprove how government intends to run the country.
Is this the trend that will be set for the next nine months? If government is going to collaborate on its moves with the coalition of eight, how objective can they be when government is called into Parliament? This is a serious problem and members of both branches are treading on dangerous grounds. Why is it that parliamentarians, who support any coalition, have to always be in the middle of negotiations that government is solely responsible for? It does not take a rocket scientist to find out the main reason. It is because parliamentarians are tied to individual ministers and regrettably, this has been the most detrimental aspect of governing this country. This is why the island has witnessed the consistent breaking-up of governments – parliamentarians take pleasure in holding ministers hostage, every single time.
In another article, I will touch on the issue of political reform, because until parliamentarians are sacked with not having the privilege of selecting their individual ministers, politics will be business as usual.
Joslyn Morton
