Argentina and Guyanaevents – a comparison

THE EDITOR: Two developments in neighbouring South America provoke interesting comparisons to similar situations in TT.

Re the first, Cristina Fernandez, former president of Argentina, now a government senator, is to be prosecuted for corruption, despite her expected claims of political manoeuvring, as if politics is anything but that. But that aside, would any of our politicians currently in and out of office ever be hauled before the courts in similar fashion?

It seems as if in this country, prosecutable instances of corruption in politicians are more to be talked about than acted upon, perhaps out of the mutual recognition of opposing corrupt politicians that prosecution for same is a precedent that may return to “plague the inventor” (Macbeth’s rationalisation of the consequences of killing the king in that play by Shakespeare).

As to the second, Charandass Persaud’s defection to the Opposition in Guyana has precedent in this country in those who “crossed the floor” in the past, but his case is significant in that it brings a government to its knees, necessitating an election in three months.

Perhaps the usual political manipulation may be involved as the PPP to whom Persaud defected is essentially East Indian-based and the tribal division in the politics between Africans and Indians is well known. But can we take his word about being “fed up” with the Government’s continuing abuse of the people, hence his “conscience” vote as he claims?

If Persaud is taken at his word, the question to ask is whether there is any politician on both sides of the divide in this country who is willing to take a principled stand, or vote on conscience against their party’s position in Parliament. Watching our politicians grovel at the feet of their masters simply for a “mess of pottage” makes a “conscience” vote on their part as improbable as the sun not rising tomorrow.

But there is a more telling consequence of this unquestioning subservience based on self-interest. It creates a neat relationship between leaders and “vassal” politicians, the one never asked to account, and the other perennially indifferent lest they offend and lose their chance to feed at the trough.

In such an arrangement leaders can afford to be arrogant in the exercise of power and their support politicians never concerned about their level of cognition and their basic competencies to make intelligent choices for whom they are supposed to serve.

But in all this I will waste a thought and ask about the dignity of the person and the introspection about the self and its own worth – in effect their own legacies – in the eyes of those who are looking on.

DR ERROL BENJAMIN via e-mail

Comments

"Argentina and Guyanaevents – a comparison"

More in this section