Backward politics by PM

THE EDITOR: Amidst a national crisis which resulted in the calling of a state of emergency (SoE), the Prime Minister has made the decision to resign. In a time of extreme uncertainty and growing anxiety, the head of government wants to spend time with his family.

Against that backdrop he makes an announcement that resulted in more speculation than the interpreting of dreams. Further to this, he pulls the nation's consciousness (whatever is left) deeper into the abyss of confusion and doubt with political intrigue and confusion.

It is not to say these are good times. It is widely evidenced that the current state of our systems are reeling from agents we cannot manage.

Yet the Prime Minister chose to add to the unsettled situation and play distraction with the nation. Is this the behaviour of an individual who is concerned about the stability of our nation?

While the suffering and abuse continue, the media are now all wrapped up in shoving this political soap opera in our faces. This is good bacchanal. We love drama. But what happens to us in the end? We get distracted, we lose focus, and we forget the anguish of our prolonged harrowing experiences.

The Prime Minister did everything backwards deliberately so that his drama could become the front page. It is a sad tactic, desperate even, to cover the failures of any government. Shouldn't the responsible thing have been the resignee seeking to confirm his successor before making his announcement to the nation?

Perhaps he could have had the general council meeting first and have its decision taken in context by the MPs at the retreat, which would have led to an agreed consensus, resulting in a proper announcement of a confirmed successor and a clear timeline for the transfer of leadership for both party and country.

This is more critical since his decision to resign not only greatly affects the PNM, but the running of the country. Was this too much to ask or would this have been too easy and not have the desired dramatics that we are addicted to in the politics of the nation?

What is sad is that we still continue unabated in the eddying spiral of decent, while our leaders play themselves enjoying the attention and applause of their unwavering supporters.

This whole fiasco was both unnecessary and disappointing. Any proper leader with the best interest of the nation at heart would know what the process should entail, but it's too much to ask in a culture where we jammin' still.

RYAN MARTINEZ

Gasparillo