Plain Talk - Phillip Edward Alexander
On the heels of all the smoochiness and hug ups that took place in San Fernando East yesterday prior to the Political Leader Dr. Keith Rowley's and the member for the constituency and former Prime Minister Patrick Manning's walk about, the cynic in me wants to know one thing; what's changed?
Why all this love on the dance floor now, when mere short months ago the same Dr. Rowley was barely allowed to be screened to run as a candidate?
As is usual in these smoke and mirror events, the right people were asked the right questions to which they had the right answers, and now it's rainbow and magic mountain time, PNM style, and just like magic these two former (and some say still) political adversaries have unlocked horns for the second time for political expediency.
I for one am having none of it.
First to begin, this same man Patrick Manning has many questions to answer, both within the Party and to the country and at some point, quite possibly the Authorities; instead of being expelled in disgrace he is being welcomed with open arms for one reason and one reason only; because it's the expedient thing to do.
For all his promised court-martialing and dry docking Dr. Rowley has delivered nothing, and besides a few bright flare ups in the Parliament to entertain the masses, his term as Leader of the Opposition and of the PNM have left the discussion as to 'who's your leader' a continuous conversation.
No amount of tomfoolery is going to fool the growing political center who, having demonstrated their power during election and more recently during the Reshmi fiasco is not going to accept this made up making up, no way no how.
For all his bright plans (and to be honest he had some brilliant plans), Patrick Manning proved himself to be an arrogant character prone to delusions of grandeur (to put it mildly), and the people need to reject him with the same cold calculation with which he rejected the much loved Penelope Beckles, setting her political career back years out of nothing but spite.
I for one refuse to be fooled by trickery and instead I demand of Dr. Rowley to deliver on his promises to reshape the PNM into a viable Party of the center with one vote for every member, or vacate the position and allow others with vision to chart a new direction for the Party.
For the few PNM diehards left over from the recent Manning era, yesterday was Christmas all over again.
To everyone else, this is nothing but another political Party hoping to fool the people, fool the people, fool the people.
Both sides believe they can get away with this because the people are bereft of choice, but should that situation change for some reason, both the UNC and PNM will go the way of the dinosaurs because the modern electorate, informed, educated and politically involved, are not standing for foolishness anymore.
Something to think about as you walkabout...
