Law & Politics
By Lloyd Noel
There has been some behind the scene gossip about expected movements at the top of the administration controllers in high positions, but the joining of the NNP brigade by Peter David, seems to have put all else way down the chart of national importance for the time being.
It seemed strange that the announcement was made in a St Andrew Constituency, rather than in the St George’s district, where Peter has been a representative for some years and is well known.
But whatever is the rationale for so doing, he is now inside the camp, and will no doubt be part and parcel of whatever is on the agenda in the months ahead. It will be interesting to see whether any of the others who were expelled from the NDC like he was, will follow him into the NNP camp.
Whether any follow him now or later, the fact that his movement was announced at this time, and so soon after the mayday treatment meted out to Trade Unionist Chester Humphrey, it all raises a whole lot of questions about what is really happening behind the political scene, and where are we heading in the months ahead of this year, as well as the remaining period of the Structural Adjustment Programme, that is tied up with the IMF 30 million we are still waiting for.
There can be no denying that expectations and or promises made to the controllers now in charge, but before the elections that those are not bearing fruit and there are no possible alternatives anyway in site.
The Citizenship by Investment Programme, that so much reliance had been placed upon as a capital funding mechanism, that scheme has not lived up to the expectations of the controllers to date; and whether or not things would change to make a difference, only time and good results will determine.
With comrades like Chester and Peter, and one or two others of like standing, and with friends and associates in the leftist political arena, in the wider community across the globe, those joining the NNP may be able to get their comrades to offer or provide some help, to ease the financial burden.
It is left to be seen whether any of the others who were expelled from the NDC would follow Peter and join the NNP in the near future, so as to boost the party’s hopes of obtaining help to get the economy moving and providing some jobs.
As the PM himself acknowledged recently, it is an unusually long time since those roads maintenance workers have had any work, and those folks do not have the means to adequately provide for their families otherwise, so it must be very serious hardships among a whole lot of families around the country. And to think that hundreds of youngsters are due to finish secondary school in the next couple months, with no hope of going into college, nor of finding jobs in the island as things stand in the labour market nowadays. It must be very discouraging.
The big deal on the government agenda is the Amendment to the Constitution, and the committee has been meeting to come up with a first draft for further consideration. How the amendments will help our people in need goodness knows; but the controllers seem to be more interested in getting the amendments, than boosting the economy to provide the so desperately needed employment.
Of course the people will have to vote for the proposed amendments, so it will be offered by the controllers, as the catch to get those votes when the time comes around.
Not much, if anything is being said by the NDC people on the amendment, but I suppose they are waiting to see the draft version before commenting.
Whatever is proposed by the controllers for the amendments, the other parties will be expected to consider it all, and carefully advise the people on the way forward. Because once the voters cast their votes to go republic, or however the new system is called, we cannot go back to what we had before, even if the present government is replaced later on.
So as we wait to see who else will be following Peter into the NNP Camp, and what positions they will be occupying in the new setup, we must hope that some changes will be forthcoming to help those in desperate need to survive.
