No executive president for TT

THE EDITOR: Whatever the merits of an executive president, I think Eric Esdelle and other advocates of an executive president will agree that any constitutional change is unlikely before the next century — judging from TT’s difficulty in appointing even a commissioner of police. I therefore make two brief comments and move on.

Firstly, the USA’s Donald Trump is reason enough to beware of an executive presidency.

Secondly, Patrick Manning was the closest TT got to having an executive president. Manning removed his licence plate, PM 1, replacing it with a silver crest, which the Licensing Office told us was illegal. He built himself a fabulous residence worthy of a president, while allowing President’s House to rot away.

His presidential ambitions encouraged him to encroach on the Red House for his office and he attempted to juxtapose his office on the south end of our Parliament. He had visions of ejecting Parliament from the Red House to another site across Knox Street.

From all appearances, Manning’s constitutional change would simply have abolished the office of the president and transferred the president’s duties to the prime minister’s office in some form or fashion.

Should TT ever move to having an executive president, I will not be around. So this is my two-cents piece.

MICHAEL JAY WILLIAMS
via e-mail