Tribute to Reggie Dumas

DR VISHNU BISRAM

I AM DEEPLY saddened by the demise of retired public servant Reggie Dumas whose contributions in TT’s public service were immeasurable. He was undoubtedly an extraordinary public servant, one of the country’s most respected bureaucrats who showed remarkable dedication to serving fellow citizens and who took his job very seriously.

He was loved and respected by politicians both sides of the aisle. He remained well known even after retiring from the bureaucracy, becoming a regular feature in the media.

Dumas’s passion to public service was exemplary, and he served with distinction. He was a great institution builder and an able administrator. He was also a man of profound intellect and knowledge of diplomacy and bureaucracy. His formidable intellect and utter simplicity defined his personality.

A man of impeccable integrity with an unwavering commitment to professionalism, he was perhaps the best public servant in the history of the nation. As head at one time, Dumas helped transform the entire public service and became a nurturing mentor to many. Honesty in public life was his hallmark as a public servant and as a policy analyst after he left the service. His unwavering commitment to professional service left an indelible mark on staff.

I had the opportunity to participate in many discussions with Dumas on the phone and in Tobago when I visited to conduct polls. He spoke with great unction. One felt enriched and amazed after every interaction; he had a lot of depth and insight on issues and was not afraid to speak on politics.

Dumas and I had fruitful and useful discussions post-December 2001, during and after the tied election. I always cherished the conversations we had on that and on other issues, such as corruption and racial discrimination.

He said then president Robinson, a Tobagonian like himself, had a most difficult decision to choose between Patrick Manning and Basdeo Panday as PM. Panday created an opening for the President to reject him when he signed a memo consenting to Robinson to choose the PM. That was a fatal political error since Panday was not defeated at the election and as incumbent was the obvious choice.

Dumas did not like what has passed for governance post-Manning and Panday.

We also talked a lot about opinion polls. He was praiseworthy of my contributions to this field of politics and sociology. He also praised the contributions of Selwyn Ryan, who introduced polling in TT.

In surveys I conducted, Dumas’s name came up as potential president in 2002 in surveys. When asked if he would be willing to serve, he said no, unless there was consensus among the government and opposition parties.

His name also came up as an opposition consensus prime ministerial candidate for a combined opposition coalition in 2007. But he said he was not interested in throwing his hat in politics.

Dumas was not pleased with governance and leadership of some political figures. He had a revulsion for corruption and mentioned the names of those whom he thought were extremely corrupt. No administration was given a clean chit, and again he mentioned names. He was disappointed with the behaviour of some politicians stoking race.

He spoke positively about Winston Dookeran, saying he would have made a fine PM, and he also spoke fondly of Panday, who he saw as a colourful charismatic character, although Dumas made it known that he was disappointed about the allegations against the former PM.

Though not a fan of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, he said the senior counsel is perhaps the most brilliant lawyer who had a unique creative way to interpret laws to impress judges and win judgements or clear the names of accused clients. He said the country badly needs someone of integrity to rescue it.

Besides his role in public service and offering views about politicians, he contributed countless articles in the media. He spoke his mind with informed commentaries on contemporary issues. The nation will miss his articles in the national newspapers.

Dumas will remain a role model for future generations. His work will inspire generations to come. May his soul rest in peace, and my condolence to his family.