Coming to terms with a man of no grace!

 

Coming to terms with a man of no grace!

 

IT MIGHT have been sometime in 2009, there were consistent reports that the relatively new National Democratic Congress government might be moving on a threat to arrest Keith Mitchell for alleged corruption.

The reports of the pending arrest were so strong, I began to worry they might be credible. And then I began to worry about another thing, that we are using our legal system to hound our opponents.

I was getting the feeling that the prosecutors here did not have any airtight case to move forward.

I started calling around – ranting and raving; almost threatening – “you all cannot go down that route.”

Not only did I not believe that such a move will irreparably divide a society; but also, that everyone – even someone we just beat up in an election campaign, and who lost – deserved some grace.

 I shall keep coming backing to the issue of grace – and how the dispensation of it does not have to survive a political litmus test. Especially in a small society such as ours.

 But this is also snippets of a man who has partially successfully masked his cold irreverence and calculated heartlessness, as somewhat a champion of the “poor and vulnerable.”

Exploring the issue of grace – or lack of it -- let’s go back to Garvey Louison, who was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in the early 2000s I think.

Garvey is the brother of Einstein Louison, who himself at the time was the Minister of National Security in the Prime Minister’s office.

Einstein went home one day to find his little brother in tears. And he heard right there for the first time, about the firing of Garvey.

Today I am not even sure what the real story was behind his termination – but I remember what shocked me at the time – was how Einstein – your go-to person– was not shown – forget courtesy – but at least grace.

But it gets worse. Years later Einstein Louison fell sick – and, even to this day, the Prime Minister has never gone to see him because they had fallen out.

 He never thought ‘Stein deserved any grace.

 Fast forward to the beginning of Keith’s last term – when a youth supporter, questioned (truthfully rightly so), his administration’s lack of a real empowerment strategy for youth.

He felt she was out of place, and some of his enforcers, taking a cue from him began hounding the young lady.

 And so naturally she began to become bolder in social media statements about politics and policy.

 And so – from the highest office in the land – they moved against this struggling young mother of three – to lose her job -- because she was “too fresh” to offer an opinion – albeit a bold one – in a democratic society.

 I remember one minister, literally in tears begging her boss and everyone else who will listen to leave the lady alone. To show her some grace.

 Why? She has children in school and her loss of income will badly affect them.

 She, however soon did not have a job.

 The highest people in this land refused to show her children some grace.

  The story of Ruel Edwards was one that haunts me.

 Edwards was a man, who helped draft aspects of the 2018 manifesto, and was even seen as a potential candidate one day.

 There was/is rightfully a debate about his tenure at MNIB. He was then transferred to the Ministry of Finance, where, from all reports, he was doing very good technical work.

 There were people there who for some reason might have felt threatened by him. The Prime Minister was “worked on.”

 He then called a press conference – without any alert to the man in question or his family who were close to him – or his cabinet colleagues or his communication consultants -- and openly blasted someone, throwing innuendos and announcing an investigation into the man (something as it turned out he could not do).

 In Reul’s most difficult moments, he was shown no grace.

 While openly grumbling about his Minister of Trade at the time (Oliver Joseph), a move was made to move his son from  -- rightly or wrongly based on who tells the story. But Joseph heard it after the fact from his son; without him being given a heads-up by his boss.

As awkward as it might have been, Oliver Joseph would have deserved to be shown some grace.

 I was in the Prime Minister’s office when my sister suddenly died. She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance; spent three days in a bed and never saw a doctor.

 I called around trying to find answers. Never got any credible response – not from the CMO; not from the Minister of Health; not from my “boss”.

 No show at the funeral; not to this day an “accept my sympathy.”

 I just could have done with a little bit of grace.

 Just a few months ago – Nielon Franklyn was still an NNP senator. His father died. Franklyn’s political leader refused to attend the funeral on the basis that his old man was never a supporter of him.

 Even in time of grief, the Right Honorable did not bring himself to show grace.

 Grace was not dispensed to Pamela Moses, who was in his cabinet as recently as two and a half years ago.

And what is showing grace? It is not condoning anything. Not supporting anything. It is showing goodwill.

 Reynold Benjamin was shown no grace. Warren Neufield was shown no grace. Grace Duncan was shown no grace. Kindra Mathurine-Stewart was shown no grace. Bert Brathwaite was shown no grace. Cletus St Paul was shown no grace. Senator Katisha Douglas was shown no grace. (The hits keep on coming, right?)

Why do you all think that Peter David will be shown any grace?

NNP’s stage-five cancerous anti-democratic tumor

 NNP’s stage-five cancerous anti-democratic tumor

 

IF the New National Party in Grenada was some community club in the back of Munich, what is happening with it would have been awkwardly comical and made for a good rum shop laugh.

 But it, being a supposedly serious political party, seeking to govern a nation again – makes it more like tragicomedy. It is simply dangerous.

 The party has never been well known for its embrace of internal democracy – but its long serving political leader and former Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has spent the last two years – making his previous stint look like a Happy Hill R.C harvest.

 This is now the real deal; and this is the real him.

The party’s state has nothing to do with the ambitions of Emmalin Pierre, Peter David, Dwight Horsford –or anyone else who rightfully wants to dream.

It has everything to do with a man, who has suffered such a psychological blow from his defeat at the hands of what he himself called “little children” – that one of his few fantasies, even in his golden age, is to become Prime Minister again.

50 Cent once rapped: Get Rich or Die Trying. Doc’s version is – Get Power Again and ‘Dye’ While Trying.

The former Prime Minister has crippled or dismantled every organization in the party since he was booted out of San Souci; he is hardly on speaking terms with its last elected chairman Oliver Joseph and its general secretary Roland Bhola – simply because they have dared speak about having a long overdue convention before July.

That won’t happen – not because the executive has not yet set a date – as both he and Pierre have lied in public interviews - but because simply put, he is not ready yet. He is busy going around the country trying to change properly registered delegates – to guarantee he will still have his way.

When he says the party must organize itself first before a convention – read that to mean – he must finish changing the delegates. (Never mind the party’s constitution which he has thrown away that says “Shall” hold a convention every year without putting any conditions on it).

Every week he delays, further exposes both his paranoia and his weakness. The emperor knows, as I write, he has no clothes. But he is busy trying to find them and put them on.

And he is very experienced at that. Doc has been at it for a long time, since 1984-85 when he was not even the leader.

How do I know?

Back then I was supposed to be the youngest delegate, representing PD Number 2 in Munich along with Shirley McMillan.

I was working as the young editor of The National newspaper – the party’s organ – after George Brizan had pulled me out from my temporary teaching job on a Friday afternoon to come take charge of the organ the next Monday morning.

So, I had access to the people at the party office – who told me that he had ordered my name scratched out because I was one of Brizan’s boys.

Larry Joseph, a genuine democrat, and a man who gave him his loyalty was there those times. But ‘Doc’ doesn’t talk to him anymore, because Sir Lawrence dared suggest letting democracy reign for once - in their old party.

In the last few weeks, we have been having the wrong discussion about NNP. At its core it does not face a leadership problem. It faces a democracy crisis – one that manifests itself in a leader, inspite of polls suggesting otherwise – determined to stay by any means necessary.

 Emmalin Pierre’s leadership fantasies end where Dr Mitchell’s selfish ego begins. She may become his plan G, after Akima Paul, who was his plan D, Derek Sylvester his plan E and Dwight Horsford his plan F –either fell out of his plans - or saw through him – and refused to bite the poisoned apple he fed Elvin Nimrod, and in latter days Peter David.

Dr Keith Mitchell has always been – and remains his own Plan A, B and C.

Pierre is not running for any leadership right now – the news reports have been wrong. The St Andrew’s South MP herself says it – she will only take the punt “when there is a vacancy.” Pierre knows there is not one right now; she is not even sure when there will be one. Keith Mitchell has told his people, nobody challenges him unless there is a vacancy – and he has proudly declared, that there is none.

 Appreciating that the “whole truth” has never been his strong suite, the former Prime Minister, inappropriately used Winston Whyte’s funeral to make his point about “challenges.”

 Whatever you think about Doc and this situation, he is being true to form. Two days after the last election, he told me – boldly to my face - the NNP belongs to him and Gregory Bowen –and nothing will change unless “they” (truthfully him) decide.

 Sadly, Emmalin Pierre is the latest political hostage he is using to buy time.

 Remember Doc is same man who sent a committee, headed by Bowen, to Peter David a few months ago to demand that he cease “campaigning” – or supposedly, I guess, face disciplinary action.

 Their reason then? Well, the race for leadership has not yet started, and other people might be interested – so wait until others declare.

 Never mind Emmaline has “semi” declared. The MP, who sometimes herself sets the agenda, is attending every single meeting the party is currently having around the country. David, sometimes on her own insistence according to inside party sources, has not been invited to any meeting outside of the parish of St George’s.

Maybe it is an acknowledgment that he is too popular in St Andrew’s and St Patrick’s to risk it.

At some point soon, the likes of Oliver Joseph (the chairman), and Roland Bhola (the general secretary), Peter David (the assistant general secretary) – must decide what they are willing to do about this anti democrat cancer that’s at stage five in the NNP.

I guess it depends how they want history to regard them.

The political leader has dismantled every half-working institution in the party. He has set up what he called Leads and Deputy Leads in every constituency and demanded that they report directly to him – not General Secretary Bhola.

For practical purposes he has fired Bhola. Maybe to put it nicely – he has been neutered.

Dr Mitchel has made in clear that there is a yearning for “the old NNP” – whatever that means. Emphasizing the point, he has brought back Ann Antoine as “a lead” in south – even after not reportedly breaking a word with her for more than a decade.

 The former Prime Minister finally becoming the Mick Jagger of Grenadian politics – the senior citizen putting his old band back together and getting ready for a “greatest hits” album.

Only last week he was at practice – dancing to a recent campaign song of his - “Never Get Weary Yet.”

A man who is planning on leaving soon will not be so eager to making the point about “staying power” as the song depicts.

His now illegal and unconstitutional executive is filled with people mostly suffering from battered woman syndrome. They all know their old lover is bad for them; they grumble about it; but afraid to do anything about it.

With his own polls (he hid from his people before the elections) showing his leadership was a drag on the party – in another maneuver to buy time, the then Prime Minister  asked then party  Chairman Anthony Boatswain to meet with people interested in potential party leadership.

 Bowen, David and Pierre attended. Boatswain alluded to the development in an interview. He was “pulled over the coals” afterwards by the very man who set it up.

Doc was never serious. It was just one of those attempts to buy time. And he is doing it again.

 Pierre, in true fashion (in honor of her boss I guess) – earlier this year told a ‘To The Point’ interview on GBN that she had never expressed interest in any leadership. (That’s Ok if you believe Doc’s story that he never said he was going).

But the late Basdeo Panday of Trinidad and Tobago said it best – politics has a morality of its own.

In full disclosure – the “One for the Road” concept – was sold to him by me – but that was just half of the message. He was supposed to use the campaign to outline a detailed plan for transition. He bluntly refused repeatedly to do the second part. (Wait to hear all the excuses he gave in my forthcoming book).

 For years I have told everyone who would listen, that Doc is the leader for life. And in his old age, he has now turned also into a political arsonist – ready to burn his own house down if he can’t have his way.

 

How Delma Thomas accepted a pay cut to join the cabinet

 

IT was February 21, 2013 - two days after the general election that swept the New National Party back into office, having won all 15 seats.

Among them was first time winner Delma Thomas, who after losing at her first attempt in 2008, became the MP for At Andrew's North West.

 

I was in the Happy Hill neighborhood and dropped in by the newly re-elected Prime Minister to query when he will be making his first return to the Botanic Gardens office to ensure that cameras were there to capture the moment.

 

He shared with me -- a then not-for-reporting purpose -- the cabinet line up that he would  unveil on the weekend.

 

I noted that Thomas was not included.

 

I made no direct comment then -  and was not totally surprised, since even before the elections there was a suggestion that should Thomas win her seat, she will be advised to stay in her job at the St George's University, since she was then earning more than she will make as a Minister.

 

But that night, I called her and said - I noted that you have not been included in the cabinet -- and asked if that was something she was comfortable with -- because I had assumed by then she was aware.

 

Thomas intimated that was the first time she was being made aware -- but said she would have preferred to be nominated for a posting.

 

Then I raised the issue of pay -- and that maybe it is a good thing she was not being included in the Cabinet -- because leaving her job to do so will effectively mean taking a pay cut.

And her reply was that is fine with her.

 

I initially protested  to her, agreeing with the view that it was the right thing to stay in her current job.

 

She objected on two counts --(a) she was elected to serve her people, and felt their needs will be best served by being a member of cabinet and (b) her naysayers during the campaign were saying she cannot be made a minister because she is not capable -- explaining that a non-appointment will feed into that narrative, and ultimately hurt her politically.

 

I listened to her argument but did not make any counter comments.

 

The next morning I called the newly re-elected Prime Minister and said - I had slept on that list he had shared with me, and the more I thought about it, I felt it was a mistake not to appoint Thomas to the cabinet.

 

I argued that (a) I am confident she will turn out to be one of your biggest allies in cabinet and (b) unlike what some people feel, she has a type of passion and some useful ideas about governance and accountability that potentially will make her a good minister; and predicted she will pleasantly surprise some of the people who cast doubt on her ability.

 

His only retort was that she had a young family and she needed to keep her current job to be able to meet her obligations.

 

Without spilling the beans that I had spoken to her, I said - I get the feeling she won't mind, because she really wants to be in a position to make a difference to the people who rallied with her, even if that means taking a personal pay cut.

 

The conversion ended. I did not press further. He did not make any declaration or commitment -- though I left with the sense that he was reconsidering his earlier decision.

 

About 24 hours later, Thomas called to report that the Prime Minister had offered her the position of Minister of Social Services and Housing.

 

I joked: " Don't go there now and mamaguy yourself."