I WILL take a brief excursion into the now public lists of the parties to the 13th parliament. The list which seemed to capture the greatest attention of the nation and created some degree of exasperation over the number of days it took for the president to make his list public.
There were several fake lists being circulated and many politically sumptuous speculations made the rounds on social media. There were also conspiracy theories that a major fight had erupted inside the PPP over naming the new cabinet.
My opinion was sought by many friends and acquaintances about the expected changes in the cabinet. I said to them that given the huge success at the elections, the electorate has signalled that they liked the general direction and progression of the government.
Baring loss of political support or provable misconduct, major changes should not have been anticipated. The choices made with respect to the returning ministers are almost to the ‘T” in line with my predictions. There was, however, one appointment I did not see coming, that is, the appointment of Hon. Oneidge Walrond to Ministry of Home Affairs. I held the opinion that the person to lead Home Affairs ought to have strong overt political pedigree and Minister Walrond comes over as a quiet, reserved apolitical professional. So, her candidacy for that post didn’t even cross my mind. I hope she does well.
I also accurately predicted those who did not return with the exception of Minister Gail Teixeira. I thought that given her age and her impressive political resume, she may have voluntarily walked away, and the President confers on her one of our highest national awards, at a time in her life when she could appreciate it. That said, Minister Teixeira has amassed so much political capital that she should be allowed to go out on her own terms. One therefore cannot pout at any political role she wishes to play. I have no specific comment on the new appointments, except to say they are new and fresh and should be given every opportunity to serve.
That said, I think President Ali’s cabinet has one omission. The government ran a bold and daring campaign. It took a lot of political audacity on the part of many non-traditional activists and voters who “crossed over” and came on board to turbo charge and make the campaign more exciting and hopeful. A large part of the success of the campaign was the breath of fresh political expectations brought by these crossovers. In the same vein, the President should’ve been just as bold and audacious in appointing at least one of the “political crossovers” to his cabinet. The cabinet is regular, safe and typical, but from the election season from which it flows, there is nothing about it that was safe, regular and typical. The cabinet should’ve reflected this reality, the positive symbolism it would’ve communicated to the nation is indubitable. However, Vice-President Jagdeo did say in an interview, that the term is a long five years and changes can be made depending on prevailing political conditions.
The MPs presented by APNU were difficult to predict because, for the first time in our history such a historical party was asked to field only 12 MPs. No other PNCR leader has ever been asked to condense such a mammoth organisation into 12 persons. Aubrey Norton’s calculations probably resembled that of an abacus. Regardless of which 12 he chose, there were bound to be those who genuinely feel snubbed, his position is unenviable. I have three thoughts. First, with a quota of only 12, Norton has selected too many new commers, people who barely chalked up two months of direct connection or activism with the party. He should’ve kept that down to two or three. My prediction is that the PNCR will slide further into the migration abyss. Many more long-standing members will go AWOL, withhold participation or will resign outrightly.
Secondly, the appointment of Terrence Campbell as the ‘Shadow Opposition Leader’ and a main cog in the rebuilding process will not yield any sweet fruits. Thirdly, given the spirit of unflinching, unreasonable, non-negotiable, hardline confrontations we have seen coming from Dexter Todd, Terrence Campbell, Sherod Duncan and David Hinds, they will not inspire the voting public.
Further, I find it hard to countenance the placement of David Hinds. I believe that his political sermons of division exist only on the fringe, it is exactly what the electorate rejected. One would assume that given his years in politics, he was selected to bring political depth, scholarship and guidance to the group. However, if Hinds has to be there in person for the knowledge transfer to be effective, the mission has already failed. A more effective resort should’ve been to bet on a person that will offer continuity and political currency beyond 2030.
Already a political dinosaur, Hinds will be a fossil by the time the next general election rolls around. His presence can only yield paleontological lessons. Political Jurassic Park is a scary place for the younger generation; they will not connect. APNU is courting political extinction.
Local government elections are nearly one year away, and the leadership formula will be tested.
The list of MPs emanating from WIN contains some non-performers from APNU along with some newcomers. We can only wait and see what their contributions will be.
All the same, WIN seems to have started on the wrong foot. Word on the street is that Team Mohamed’s did not consult its electoral partner, ANUG, when putting together its list. In fact, WIN has already treated Mark DeFrance, Chairman of ANUG with disdain and he is currently a full outcast. He has no say and no place in WIN’s parliamentary picks. People voted for WIN because they wanted a breath of political fresh air. A more consultative moderate approach to governance.
WIN’s public posture has already demonstrated a form of crude and degenerate power drunkenness that goes beyond anything we have seen in recent political history; they have made a public call for the opposition-appointed commissioners of GECOM to resign without first engaging the commissioners directly or at least engaging their fellow opposition partner in parliament.
APNU still has a large 40 per cent stake in the opposition. It cannot be that WIN expects that it will be able to appoint all three commissioners. The WIN modus operandi is pig-headed, uncouth, stiff-necked, wild and decadent, much like its leader, it does not breathe any sense of positive expectations. There is a political price to pay for this approach.