Finance Minister Colm Imbert seemed quite comfortable with yesterday’s Opposition accusations that he was campaigning for Tobago House of Assembly polls when he sarcastically jammed UNC’s connections with Tobago.
In Parliament’s examination of the THA’s Budget allocation, Imbert verbally hammered UNC’s Tobago face until UNC’s Rudy Indarsingh revealed, “He’s campaigning in his role as PNM chairman!”
Budget scrutiny had been a PNM/UNC combat zone with intermittent pockets of information. No Opposition mercy. Plenty button pressing. Government members - brief, terse, cold, harsh, sarcastic. Plus there was Imbert’s style.
What UNC MPs lacked in presentation, Budget knowledge (or in hiding guile) compensated with orders, criticism and sarcasm in the five minutes each was allowed for comments. Even deceased Marley - the Pompek victim of National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds’ driver - is now immortalised in Parliament records after Ravi Rattiram complained on this.
On Wednesday when the T&T Police Service’s allocation was examined, eyes in Parliament were on acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob, whose acting stint ended yesterday - but now continues heading the TTPS after reverting to his original post of Deputy CoP.
This was another effect of Thursday’s court outcome against Gary Griffith’s acting appointment.
Unprecedented issues resulting from the train wreck of events surrounding the CoP selection processes have been a steep curve - for Police Service Commission, head of state, TTPS leadership and Government leadership. Even Opposition. And now, queries for the Judiciary following changes to Thursday’s court order.
Issues remain live with, even the AG’s Office telegraphing the need for the President to formalise a new PSC needed for urgent processes in Parliament for an acting CoP - and for procedures on that appointment to be sorted as the judgment requires.
AG Faris Al-Rawi’s dented leadership on the issue was salvaged (minimally) by the court’s revised order and his appeal plans. Al-Rawi remains a parallel target of Opposition attack, along with the President, whose statements must answer assorted queries - now snowballed - in order for processes to continue ahead credibly.
UNC’s motion seeking impeachment/removal of the President is as much its face-saving mechanism as Government’s plans to appeal are.
The revised court order shifted the Opposition from a booster point to the need to retool strategy. How efficient the UNC’s cannons have been, lies ahead.
For the motion to succeed, it requires the support of two-thirds of the combined total of 72 members from the Upper House (where there’s 32) and Lower House (41).
PNM’s total from both Houses is 38. UNC’s 25. Even if all nine Independent senators - appointed by the President - support the UNC’s motion, it’s still insufficient for the required number of 48 votes. Among Independents is Charisse Seepersad, sister of former PSC head Bliss Seepersad.
Griffith’s Thursday statement - which spoke volumes on his feelings - indicated he’ll remain in action regardless of whether he’s a contender for acting CoP or CoP. While UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says he’s probably the best person for the job, she believes current merit lists for the TTPS leadership are tainted and should be scrapped - a different position to Griffith’s opinion the lists are valid.
True views on Griffith – from Government and Opposition - will, however, flow if his name’s nominated for TTPS leadership posts and they debate it in Parliament.
Many “whys” still need to be answered: about probes into TTPS issues and why “powers that be may,” may not want him as Commissioner.
Griffith’s fate has prompted speculation on whether he may emerge among UNC senators - though two of them handled Thursday’s case which went against him - and whether he may eventually figure in UNC’s 2022 leadership contest.
Whether UNC’s performance in the Budget allocation examination this week was to compensate for last week’s collapsed Lower House debate, PNM’s taken that opportunity for public meetings tonight and Tuesday to promote their Budget, heighten THA campaigning - and speak on the TTPS/PSC issues.
Parliament’s unfortunately become a battleground beyond constructive debate and accountability, where some perceive dysfunctionality and dissonance by both sides furthering capacity for unforced errors and crises. Not a large drawing card for either party.
Nor likely to improve ahead following the failures occurring with high-level players in an issue with something as significant as TT’s Police Service.