THE VIEW today from Barbados of Trinidad and Tobago’s governance/parliamentary politics by this journalist, is a mix of hilarity and disappointment. In some ways, the blend corresponds with the simulated ‘laughter’ and ‘anger’ flowing, respectively, from the governing People’s Partnership Government (PPG) and the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM). The laughter is manifested best in what and how Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (ever ready with her sweet, broad smile), rationalises admitted “missteps” by her five-party “partnership government”,  as she reckons gains and losses and offers the promise of doing better in the remaining four years.
Loyal supporters and those still withholding judgement—together in the perceived overwhelming majority—would be anxious for avoidance of recurring ‘missteps’ that surfaced during the first year.
For its part, the PNM is currently stuck with a rather angry former leader (Patrick Manning) and an uneasy leadership offered by Keith Rowley, who seems ever ready to demonstrate his own anger, as if it’s a required quality to drive the PPG on the defensive. Basically, both sides are trading verbal blows over claimed mismanagement and corruption.
In whatever form or quantity it comes, corruption is bad news (whether personal or state-connected) and must always be rejected. Objectively, however, it may be far too soon to slap, with equal force, the corruption brush on the PP’s leadership and government without any serious, independent assessment of the culture of political and financial corruption spawned over some 42 years of governments by the PNM.
Those years would be from Eric Williams, as of 1956 to the last eight years identified with what ended with Patrick Manning a year ago (on Tuesday) to give Persad-Bissessar’s PPG cause for yesterday’s celebration of their first anniversary of state power with an historic electoral victory that reduced the once mighty PNM to a mere 12-seat opposition in the 42-member House of Representatives,
Manning’s “walk”
As the PPG was celebrating, the PNM was doing its own thing at a public meeting on Tuesday night—chalking up what it considers to be the shortcomings, the deficiencies of the PPG, and doing so with a lot of simulated anger. For his part, former Prime Minister Manning and ex-PNM leader was engaged in a futile staggered walk of protest —from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando—to demonstrate his anger over his suspension from parliament on May 16.
That rare and dramatic development had resulted from a recommendation by the parliament’s Privileges Committee for the sin of “contempt” in the wake of a very serious allegation he made about a huge sum of money allegedly spent on a private residence of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar.
The reality
Manning’s suspension was a fate ignominiously suffered previously by another former Prime Minister and ex-leader of the now governing United National Congress (UNC)—Basdeo Panday.  Naturally, Panday was furious. But in contrast to the political circus now unfolding with the simulated anger of ex-PM Manning, it is hilarious to follow his outbursts about “a major mistake” by the PPG and of the “Privileges Committee” being a kangaroo court.
Some may recall that when Panday was suspended by then Speaker of Parliament, Barry Sinanan, who was as closely identified with the then governing PNM as today’s Speaker, Wade Mark, is with the PPPG—it had to with claimed contempt for using his laptop, without permission, while the House was in session.
Manning’s then strident condemnation of Panday’s  “contemptuous” behaviour should make an interesting comparison with his current political outbursts and gestures for having been suspended for the allegtions he had made against Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar that she subsequently refuted in a detailed statement to parliament.
Well, the reality is that after one year of the PPG and 42 years of the PNM—the first period lasting three decades (1956 to 1986), Trinidad and Tobago is yet to move away from the old party politics.
And this seemingly poses a great a challenge to both the PPG, under Persad-Bissessar and, moreso, the PNM with Rowley at the helm. Perhaps they should reduce the recurring angry, and at times abusive outbursts, and give the politics of structured consultation a chance.
In doing so, for all its real and perceived problems, Trinidad and Tobago may yet be able to offer lessons in governance to the rest of CARICOM.
The admirable capacity of its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic people to laugh at themselves and move away from threatening political/social challenges is not to be ignored but should be emulated.