Griffith: Some have class, others don't

National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader Gary Griffith is condemning what he called the lack of class shown by some people surrounding the funeral of late former prime minister Basdeo Panday.

In a release on Tuesday, he said based on his experience of co-ordinating the state funeral of late former PM and president ANR Robinson, he was aware of the protocols for invitations, which were approved between the State and/or the family of the deceased.

Griffith said as Panday’s military attache, he was responsible for his security, and would have had much more interaction with him during his last few years as PM than others who have made claims to be close to the former PM.

He said Panday appointed him an Opposition Senator, a member of the UNC executive, and handpicked him as candidate for the St Joseph constituency.

“But this is all irrelevant because those in authority have the right to invite or not invite anyone of their choosing, regardless of how close that person was to Basdeo Panday. So to answer those who are asking why I did not attend the funeral: the answer is simple. I was not invited.

“I did get an opportunity to pay my respects, however, as I attended the wake and also signed the condolence book along with the NTA Executive and other members of the NTA party.”

Referring to former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira and former senate president Timothy Hamel-Smith’s scaling of the fence at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in an attempt to attend the funeral, Griffith said he did not go where he was not invited and had no intention of jumping over railings like when he was a teenager "storming" house parties decades ago.

“One surely cannot expect to ask the nation to allow you the opportunity to lead and serve a country, when you act in such an irresponsible manner as jumping over railings to enter a State event when you were not invited. There is simply nothing that justifies these actions, especially from those who should know better. This demonstration of lawlessness sets a bad example for all and it reinforces the mindset that informs criminal activity and school violence, which is ‘might is right.’

“Even more disappointing was the statement by the ‘stormers’ who breached security and were caught on camera climbing over a railing, saying that law enforcement told them the only way to get in (to do the wrong thing) was to jump over the railing.”

Griffith also said those who drafted the order of service chose to politicise it by “sidelining those not aligned to the government, or those who may be aligned to the opposition to ensure the defeat of the outgoing Government.”

He said when he was drafting Robinson’s order of service, he included then opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley, by having him speak at the service.

“So to see the present Leader of the Opposition not being recognised in any manner, not even her time of arrival, says so much about us as a nation. And it speaks even more about the lack of professionalism of those in the state, who decided to make such a decision.

“It is all about protocol and class, and it is clear some have it and some don't.”