People article has been going around the internet. Its well worth the time to read it. There is also a youtube clip...
Get VotingSubject: Vote wisely on November 5th.
This was wrtitten by Michael J Williams - Well worth reading.
To my Fellow Citizens of Trinidad &Tobago
I am addressing this message to all persons who cherish T&Ts
democracy, of all political parties, or of none, and of all ages. I
appeal to you to put country first.
The forthcoming election is like none before. This is not merely a
contest to choose a government to govern our beloved country under our
present constitution.
Political leader Patrick Manning has declared his intention should he
win, to change the constitution of T&T, to become Executive President.
This threat cannot be taken lightly, because many of Manning's actions
betray a frightening dictatorial streak which citizens must reject, by
registering to vote, and more importantly, by voting on election day.
I submit the following for your consideration:
I came to know Mr Kenneth Valley in 1987 when we both served in the
senate. He was appointed a PNM senator by Manning in his party's
darkest hour, following the NAR 33-3 victory at the polls. Valley has
since been a loyal PNM front man, a deputy political leader, Chief
Whip and leader of government business in parliament, and a cabinet
minister highly respected by the business community which he serves.
That all constituency groups have nominated him and no one else, to
contest the next elections, is proof enough that the people of Diego
Martin Central want him as their representative. Yet Manning rejected
Valley, based on a flimsy poll of 240 persons in a constituency
exceeding 25,000 and seeks to replace the peoples' candidate with a
candidate of his own. Not only is Manning subverting the PNM
constitution by his secret poll, he overrides the wishes of the
people, and disregards Valley's performance as a minister.
Almost half the elected PNM representatives chosen by the people are
being removed to make way for Manning's nominees. The peoples'
representatives must choose their leader, but the roles are reversed,
and the leader is choosing the representatives for the people. This
surely is democracy turned on its head.
Manning rejected the offer of Mr Anthony Garcia, Fatima College
principal and a former TUTTA president, as a candidate for the
elections. The far-fetched reason given – Garcia's son is married to
Christine Kangaloo, a minister in his cabinet. While thus indicating
his distaste for family connections in his administration, he
nevertheless appointed his wife a cabinet minister. These events
amongst others, demonstrate his preference for pliable individuals
around him. He feels threatened by persons of substance, who can think
independently.
Manning has built himself a $148 million palace but abandoned
President House to rot and ruin. President Max Richards meanwhile has
been made to make do in the "maid's quarters" behind the crumbling
President House.
When Uganda's head of state President Musevini visited recently,
protocol required that T&Ts head of state President Richards should
have welcomed him. But Manning jumped ahead of President Richards' and
pushed Richards aside.
Without any scruples, Manning subverts the constitution of T&T and the
PNM, and to pamper his ever burgeoning ego, he willy-nilly disregards
accepted protocol.
The Red House is revered by many as T&Ts historical seat of
government. All the debates of our colonial past, the voices of
Cipriani, Butler, Albert Gomes, the Sinanans and Capildeos, Raymond
Quevedo, Eric Williams - all echoed in its hallowed chamber. Our
independence was ushered in at the Red House in 1962; it witnessed the
lowering of the Union Jack, and the raising of T&Ts flag. It withstood
and survived the violent onslaught on our democracy in 1990, and so
much history dwells within those walls. When unveiling the plaque in
the parliamentary chamber recently to honour her late father, Erica
Williams urged that the Red House remain the seat of our parliament.
Yet without any consultation with the people, or even the parliament
staff, Manning seeks to eject parliament from the Red House to make it
his office, and even to squat cheek and jowl on the steps of the Red
House, encroaching on the sanctity of parliament, and compromising the
separation of legislature and executive.
Under Manning's draft constitution, a constitution with little input
from the people, the people, you and I, will have no voice in electing
the Executive President as in the United States. Instead, the PNM
executive controlled by Manning will choose the Executive President.
If he becomes Executive President, Manning will simply extend his
powers to include those now vested in President Max Richards, and
Richards will disappear. With his handpicked MPs he will have total
control of parliament. He will influence or control the appointment of
every state officer, including members of the judiciary. Many of
Manning's decisions have demonstrated bias, either political, cultural
or racial, and citizens like Marlene Coudray, Fareeza Mohommed and
Devant Maharaj have had to resort to our courts to redress injustices.
The Maha Sabha got their radio licence 5 years late, on the orders of
the Privy Council.
Guyana had Forbes Burnham. Zimbabwe has Robert Mugabe. Will Trinidad
and Tobago vote to preserve its democracy? I urge you all to put
country before party, put country before politics, put Trinidad &
Tobago first.
Michael J Williams
Maracas Valley
