If I were Prime Minister

THE EDITOR: The social media was awash with many opponents of the PNM urging supporters and Hindus in general to boycott the Divali celebrations at the Divali Nagar if Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley attended on the final night. In the end he did not. One may wish to accept his explanation that time did not permit him to attend but there will always be speculation that is was a case of “if you don’t want me there I am not coming.”

If I were fortunate enough to be elevated to the Office of Prime Minister, there are many things I would do differently from those before me. For example, I would wherever possible insulate politics from the complex nature of religion. Consequently, unless the presence of the prime minister is mandated by law or convention like the opening of the law term ceremony at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, I would not attend any religious ceremonies.

Another thing I would have done differently is open the Children’s Hospital in Couva. There can be no excuse for spending millions of dollars to build new hospitals in Point Fortin and Arima while leaving a completed unit that is furnished with equipment and beds unoccupied.

I would not only have opened the hospital but I would have renamed it the Kamla Persad-Bissessar Hospital in honour of her vision for a hospital for the Couva area. That would demonstrate that as prime minister I am above the pettiness of vindictive party politics.

The Prime Minister’s Office mandates that the holder of that office conscientiously, impartially and to the best of one’s ability discharge the duties of prime minister and do right to all manner of people without fear or favour, affection or ill will. That requires a prime minister to rise above all the negatives from all sectors of society, from supporters and enemies, from those who love you and those who hate you and see TT as one nation, one people.

The time has come for an end to the hatred, the payback, the “we time now” and the division. As prime minister one primary focus would be to mend the division that has been perpetuated by those who profit from a divisive nation and focus on the fact that we are better together.

United we can overcome the challenges from criminals that have made our communities unsafe. United we can fix our deplorable infrastructure. Together we can end the polarised voting patterns.

Tomorrow can be brighter and better if together we celebrate our Divali, Christmas, Eid, Baptist holiday and other religious holidays free of political influences.

STEVE ALVAREZ via e-mail