Thursday, October 22 2009

Not only did he slam this State company for its non-accountability, but he reached into the bowels of the PNM to try to appeal to party members to stand up against the practices which are clearly severely tainting the party’s reputation.

Rowley tried to touch the hearts and souls of PNM members to reject any notion that unaccountable mega-projects should be allowed to proceed as “business as usual.” While some of his figures were later challenged by the Government, what was clear is that Dr Rowley gave his party a wake-up call which all reports indicate was very warmly received by many people in the country.

Dr Rowley said, “What this Commission of Inquiry is looking at is ten times worse than what happened in Piarco Airport. It is even more brazen. I cannot believe they have been so bold.” He called for the firing of the Udecott Board, saying,

“The tail must not wag the dog.”

Saying the wrongdoing was being supported by just “a small clique,” he warned his PNM House colleagues not to turn a blind eye, storming, “We are not going to ride it out.”

As if to shake people out of any sense of complacency over alleged State corruption, Rowley declared, “Mr Speaker, this country has to understand that sometimes you have to break the mould to make a new shape. And I am breaking the mould! I am breaking the mould! I’m breaking it on behalf of all the PNM people, who in 1986, when we went to campaign in my area, I was there, I don’t know who else was there, I was there and you are going door to door and they are slamming doors in your face in Westmoorings, in Glencoe, in Bayshore and all they telling you about is, O’Halloran.”

Saying “strong forces” are trying to derail the Commission, Rowley said the PNM was now “on trial,” as if he was alluding that the party now in fact has an opportunity to redeem itself by seeing to it that the Commission’s work proceeds.

“We are validating ‘hope’ to save the PNM,” he appealed to his House colleagues.

Dr Rowley’s speech was timely and most welcomed in many quarters because not only has this administration spent billions of dollars with dubious public accountability, but at the same time the Government has repeatedly moved to restrict mechanisms of public accountability laid down in the Constitution. The country has no Integrity Commission, no Solicitor-General, and no Local Government elections, while the Government is proposing a new Constitution that would likely erode State accountability even further. Dr Rowley basically told citizens that things need not be so, and indeed, ought not to be so.

His call was a much-needed breath of fresh air, that all would do well to ponder.