While President Christine Kangaloo’s conferral with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) the day before the Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day holiday left some baffled, it is a customary practice for presidents that is less known.
The Office of the President issued a statement on Thursday night saying, “In a simple ceremony at President’s House yesterday... The ORTT, this country’s highest National Award, was presented to Her Excellency by the Honourable Chief Justice Mr Ivor Archie.”
It added that the Chief Justice explained during the ceremony that the President of T&T receives this award by convention and by virtue of being the Chancellor of the Distinguished Society of Trinidad and Tobago, the Order to which all National Award recipients belong.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, as well as President Kangaloo’s husband, Kerwyn Garcia, were also in attendance at the ceremony.
However, questions as to how the new Head of State could receive this honour less than two weeks into office were immediately raised in some quarters following the announcement.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday in a bid to clear up the misconception that has also flooded social media since President Kangaloo received the award, a former protocol officer attached to the Office of the President, who wished not to be named, assured it was standard procedure that the President receives the ORTT.
“She cannot be Chancellor of the Distinguished Society of T&T and not have the award herself. It goes way back. Sir Ellis Clarke had the Trinity Cross. Mr (Noor) Hassanali had the Trinity Cross and so the holder of the highest office in the land will have it because as Chancellor of the Distinguished Society, it’s automatic as Head of State,” the source told Guardian Media.
The source added, “You don’t have to work to earn it like other people.”
Former Senate president Timothy Hamel-Smith also confirmed this process.
“The granting of the ORTT on the President after they first become installed has been a traditional practice that goes very far back. I know preceding presidents who received that honour as a matter of right once they become president.”
Some social media users questioned Kangaloo’s conferral, connecting it with her service to the Government.
However, the former protocol officer said the Chief Justice merely did what he would have had to do for any President who assumed the office.
“It is not a new occurrence. It has nothing to do with President Kangaloo having been a senator and having had PNM connections, it has nothing to do with that. She is the Chancellor of the Distinguished Society,” the source told Guardian Media.
Hamel-Smith added, “I can’t point to any legislation that might indicate that, but that is the convention. When you have a convention, it is something that democratic conditions require that you keep consistently applying. “Everything is not in black and white. Conventions are something that are passed along and represent what people would understand to be good practice, and therefore, there are many other conventions, which, if we ignored them I think people would be very upset so because something is a convention and not seen in black and white doesn’t make it any less a requirement than we have in T&T.”
President Kangaloo was inaugurated on March 20 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, succeeding former President Paula-Mae Weekes, who served one term in office. Like her successor, former President Weekes was also conferred the ORTT upon assuming office.
