In the past six months so much has happened in T&T politics that it leaves one in a spin as events unfold. The ex-British prime minister, Harold Wilson, once said that a week is a long time in politics, so six month seem a veritable eternity.

During this time we have had the shenanigans of the UNC internal elections, which was on a par with a national election. It was a national disgrace to see colleagues ripping into each other in their attempt to snatch the leadership of the party from the aging and ineffective Basdeo Panday. He had become so despised by his supporters that he was soundly thrashed by his protégé Kamla by an unexpected margin of about twelve to one.

With such a huge margin of defeat the old wily silver fox, now an old mangy pot hound, refused to bow out gracefully, heaping more ridicule and venom upon himself. He will suffer the ultimate insult when his so-called staunch supporters turn their back on him and go where their future lies (which has now happened). Kamla is now Opposition Leader, in addition to being the Political Leader of the UNC. This gives her enormous power, as well as signalling the demise of Bas. Bas is being forced into retirement.

The PNM is ahead of the game as far as party elections are concerned because it endorses the delegate voting system which is also used by nearly all political and union groups around the world. The one-man-one vote system allows a simple internal party election to balloon into a fierce, damaging campaign that we witnessed in the recent UNC elections. Such venom, rhetoric and bitterness reduced the UNC to a laughing stock and its prospective leaders to nothing more than crabs in a barrel. This would never happen in the PNM because we take our politics very seriously and we used the well tried and tested delegate system. We also have much more respect for our colleagues and our party.

Another thing that has been making the rounds for the last six to eight months and given life by the opposition and their cronies in the media is the need for a cabinet reshuffle. Like their attempt at scaring the government into devaluing our currency previously, the hapless UNC leaders have become shrill and desperate because they are so engrossed in an internecine war in their party that they are reduced to sideline politicians while they watch the real politicians go about their business efficiently, quietly and with the people’s business firmly planted in their mind. This shows that the PNM is ahead of the
game and the opposition’s tardiness.

This PNM government noticed that the local government system was falling apart and was not delivering the services to the people in an efficient and equitable manner, instead celebrating waste and corruption, which was evident under the UNC government of 1995-2000, but they did nothing about it. For the past two years this government has decided to re-develop the whole system to improve the efficiency of local government by developing and enacting new laws which is taking longer than at first envisaged, and in the process having to postpone the local government elections on three occasions.

All the opposition can see is the PNM trying to hold on to local government, although they understand what the government is trying to do, but it is inconvenient to explain this to the electorate as there is a good chance that the people might ask why didn’t you do that when you were in government.

Meanwhile the government has been going about its business serenely and quietly confident that they are making a difference for the people. The two Brownes (Mariano and Amery) have been growing in their jobs, Tesheira has matured in her job after the CLICO fiasco, health has had a shot in its arm under Jerry Narace so that we are not hearing of any health woes any longer, Gopee-Scoon got kudos for handling the two great showpieces of 2009 (The Summit and CHOGM), together with her cabinet colleagues, so successfully and the junior ministers seem to have overcame their initial scare of being in power and are doing fine now.

This is all held together by the old stagers like Manning and Imbert and backed up by a robust parliamentary team. So where is the need for a cabinet reshuffle which only exists in the disillusioned mind of the opposition because they cannot stomach the fact that the government has side-stepped their traps and are getting on with the people’s business in a successful way.

PM Manning warned the public that he will be bringing a new team into the 2007 election after he had the courage to deselect some of the older politicians who had become too smug with the trappings of power. He also warned that this experiment of his will take time to bear fruit and we could see it all falling into place now. It is encouraging to see that just as Dr. Williams brought on the young Manning in the 1971 elections the seasoned Manning has reciprocated with his new team – this augers well for the future of our country and our party.

Another bit of opposition stupidity making the rounds recently is that we are going to have a general election soon. With a settled team ensconced in place and working well, a full list of matters to take through parliament including the present local election Bill, over two years to go before an election is due and with a fragmented opposition who is belly-button staring there is no need for a general election at this time. This election idea is as frivolous as the idea of the Guanapo church is owned by the prime minister! Talk about idle hands doing the devil’s job!

The PNM is quietly going about its business of reorganising its election machinery for the forthcoming local government elections and this has spooked the opposition because they prefer to argue among themselves instead of preparing themselves to properly represent their constituents.

Just as how this PNM government withstood the initial onslaught and then skilfully led us out of the recent financial meltdown, just as how we arranged for Obama to meet the warring Chavez on our soil and just as we represented the Summit of the Americas and the Caribbean at the Copenhagen climate conference so too we are representing our people wholeheartedly and justly to get the best for them from the international community and here at home.

We are in office, in power and in tune with the people’s needs and this puts us ahead of the game.

GREAT IS THE PNM AND IT SHALL ALWAYS PREVAIL.