CARIBBEAN*TALK*] Betrayal of the African Vote
The recent reshuffle or realignment of portfolios by the Honourable Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar is a clear betrayal of the African vote from the national community.
The actions of the Honourable Prime Minister do not reflect a master stroke from one who professes to be the Mother of the Nation but rather reflects the biases of both gender and race within the People’s Partnership coalition.
In spite of the well-crafted responses offered for this realignment of portfolios, one cannot ignore the fact that all the critical ministries are now headed by Members of Parliament of East Indian decent.
These facts as we know them speak for themselves:
- Minister of Health Dr. Fuad Khan
- Minister of Science Technology and Tertiary Education Mr. Fazal Karim
- Minister of the People and Social Development Dr. Glen Ramadharsingh
- Minister of Public Administration Ms. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan
- Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Mr. Kevin Ramnarine
- Minister of Education Dr. Timothy Gopeesingh
- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Information Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan
- Minister of Transport Mr. Devant Maharaj
- Minister of Local Government Mr. Chandresh Sharma
- Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Dookeran
- Minister of Housing and the Environment Dr. Roodal Mooilal
- Minister of Legal Affairs Mr. Prakash Ramadhar
- Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs Mr. Vasant Bharath
- Minister of Community Development Mr. Nizam Baksh
- Minister of Planning, Social and Economic Restructuring Dr. Beau Tewarie
- Minister of the Attorney General Mr. Anand Ramlogan
These are the facts. Regardless of what the Honourable Prime Minister wishes for us to think, the realignment of her Cabinet represents the marginalization of the African community and a misrepresentation of what was articulated on the People’s Partnership platform, which promised equality and justice in governing the affairs of this country.
It is strange that African Members of Parliament headed the two ministries from which major portfolios were excised and these two portfolios were placed under the control of East Indian Members of Parliament. The facts do not lie:
i. The portfolio of URP was removed from the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises headed by Mr. Errol McLeod and was placed under an East Indian Member of Parliament, Mr. Chandresh Sharma, Minister of Local Government; and
ii. The portfolio of Transport was removed from the Ministry of Works and Transport headed by Mr. Jack Warner and was placed under an East Indian Senator, Mr. Devant Maharaj in the Ministry of Transport set up to facilitate his rise to the position of Minister.
What is even more bemusing is that the two major work intensive labour portfolios, CEPEP and URP are now under East Indian Members of Parliament whose focus all lie south of the Caroni Bridge.
Of all the changes the latter is the most confusing since prior to the realignment the Honourable Prime Minister indicated that change would have been based on performance. It is confusing for anyone to understand how the best performing Minister could have his Ministry split in two while Ministers whose performance received very little ratings in the multiple polls published in various media could have portfolios added to their Ministry. I am speaking specifically here to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Local Government.
If this therefore is not an act of betrayal against the African vote, well clearly I do not know what is. What I do know though is that come 2015, the Prime Minister must perform miracles to convince the African community that her politics is not built on a race relations platform which alienates the African people.
-- Selwyn T. Josephselwynt@gmail.com "Not everything that is faced could be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." James Baldwin, Author
i got this in my mailbox today.