The Governor General is presently acting unlawfully, illegally and contrary to the spirit and intent of the Constitution of Grenada by failing or refusing to forthwith issue the instrument of appointment to Hon. Tobias Clement as Leader of the Opposition
“Every man for himself!” “Survival of the fittest!” These are not phrases that we want to be attributed to our Grenadian society. However, under the current leadership in this crisis we seem to be under the law of the jungle. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the law of the jungle is “a code that dictates survival by any means possible and that is presumed to be in effect among animals in their natural state or people unrestrained by any established law or civilised personal or civic control”.
Sadly, it seems that in this time of crisis our leaders seem to have left our most needy citizens to survive by this primitive law. When laws are made that are unfair to certain groups, history teaches us that it can only create disquiet and disharmony in that society. Arbitrarily creating rules as we go along, changing the game in a fashion that is convenient to us is considered in every platform as cheating, and if adopted by a society will surely lead to a disastrous end.
In my view, a worse calamity or disaster will be our fate if we have no or no proper idea of where we are going or how we hope to get to our goal or worse yet, if we simply do not have a clearly defined and articulated goal. This is the paradigm of blind leadership. When we do not know where we are going and those who have taken on the role of leaders also do not know where we are going, it is logical to assume that we are going nowhere. It is a common and well accepted saying that if the blind lead the blind they all end up in a ditch.
Very sadly, in this COVID-19 (the Virus) situation at present in Grenada it is clear to me that our leaders do not know where they are leading us. I have listened very carefully to the press briefings by the Prime Minister, his team and his representatives and at no time at all have they unveiled any plan for Grenada. They have certainly announced measures and have implemented certain controls.
I believe that it is fair to say that the situation is an evolving one and different strategies are being tried but what is definitely unsettling to me is the absence of a sense of purpose. The Prime Minister is talking passionately about trying to save lives but we all know that good intentions will never solve any problem. If a man threatens you and your family with a gun you may try to save your lives by hiding behind a shield made of cardboard, but the real issue is whether that intention or plan will work.
I have borrowed the quote below from an article by John Fund in the National Review:
“In the rush to lock down nations and, as a result, crater their economies, no one has addressed this simple yet critical question: How do we know social-isolation controls actually work? And even if they do work for some infectious epidemics, do they work for COVID-19? And even if they work for this novel coronavirus, do they have to be implemented by a certain point in the epidemic? Or are they locking down the barn door after the horses are long gone?
In theory, less physical interaction might slow the rate of new infections. But without a good understanding of how long COVID-19 viral particles survive in air, in water, and on contact surfaces, even that is speculative. Without reliable information on what proportion of the population has already been exposed and successfully fought off the coronavirus, it’s worth questioning the value of social-isolation controls.
It is possible that the fastest and safest way to “flatten the curve” is to allow young people to mix normally while requiring only the frail and sick to remain isolated. This is, in fact, the first time we have quarantined healthy people rather than quarantining the sick and vulnerable.”
There is much food for thought in the above quote but let me hasten to say that I AM NOT ADVOCATING REJECTION OF OR REBELLION AGAINST THE REGULATIONS OR OTHER IMPOSITIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GRENADA. I am simply observing that it appears that decisions have been taken by our leaders without what appears to be due consideration of their implications, without implementing compensatory measures for the affected citizens and without a clear exit strategy.
Surely, this demonstrates a knee-jerked, panicked reaction and not planning, a complete lack of foresight and forethought, a callous disregard and insensitivity regarding the well-being of the poor and vulnerable members of our nation. We are being led by blind leaders who are satisfied with what I refer to as the “cut and paste” mentality of the plagiarist.
Let us further investigate what appears to be the CARDINAL RULES that govern our leaders’ trip into this blindness of ignorance and deceit.
- Avoid Parliament at all costs
At a time when our government is imposing virtual martial law on our country, when almost every Parliament or similar body in every country in the world is meeting more frequently and purposefully with the only agenda being that of the Virus, Khief is afraid of Parliament. Khief is imposing new rules, new laws, new restrictions as an ultimate leader; but will not use the ultimate authority for the use of such power which is the Parliament, as set out in the Constitution of Grenada.
The recognised body for making laws is the Parliament of Grenada and not the Cabinet! As far as Khief is concerned, he has all 15 seats so it makes no difference. Actually, it does because in Parliament:
- There is public discussion and debate about the decisions to be made, together with reasons;
- There are 2 levels of discussions, in the lower house and in the upper house or Senate and in the Senate other interest groups and viewpoints are represented.
I looked at Khief in the staged press conference of April 6th with his own political media lapdog and he was on his usual deceitful ego trip:
- Wanting to advise opposition parties;
- Wanting to advise a member of the lower house when he should exercise his right to cross the floor;
iii. Talking politics and yet saying that no one else should be talking politics in this time;
3. Setting up himself in such a way to suggest that any criticism of any measure he decides upon is political in nature.
We are now being ruled by laws made by a Cabinet which blindly does whatever Khief says. We are effectively under the dictatorship of Keith and irrespective of what he is advised, he has the final say. So, when he says that “the experts” said this or that to him we need to just take it “with a pinch of salt”.
But Khief is saying that Hon. Tobias Clement is wrong to demand his appointment as Opposition Leader right now. Well we need an Opposition Leader at this time more than ever. Why wait until we end up in the ditch?
Let me say this definitively and emphatically, that the Governor General is presently acting unlawfully, illegally and contrary to the spirit and intent of the Constitution of Grenada by failing or refusing to forthwith issue the instrument of appointment to Hon. Tobias Clement as Leader of the Opposition.
Below is what our Constitution says about the issue:
- Leader of the Opposition
(1) There shall be a Leader of the Opposition who shall be appointed by the Governor-General.
(2) Whenever there shall be occasion for the appointment of a Leader of the Opposition, the Governor-General, acting in his or her own deliberate judgement, shall appoint the member of the House of Representatives who appears to him or her to command the support of the largest number of members of the House in opposition to the Government.
The occasion is here and the Governor General is a creature of the Constitution and must obey the Constitution and forthwith appoint Mr. Clement. The opinion of Khief or anyone else is not needed and Khief should have just shut his mouth about the issue. How dare he try to suggest that Mr. Clement should wait to seek his appointment?
By the way, when will this lock down end? Khief does not have an answer to this question so he is simply playing politics and trying to create a bad impression of Mr. Clement. Shame on you Mr. Prime Minister!
STOP STICKING, DAME LA GRENADE, YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW!
Rather than summon Parliament to ratify the declaration of the state of emergency that is right now infringing our fundamental rights, Khief has deliberately decided to try to use ordinary legislation to implement his plan, which is simply to “call all the shots”. I am not going to comment on the legality of the original and amended declarations and the regulations issued therefrom, but it is very clear that Khief is avoiding Parliament.
But then again, it is clear that Khief has no intention of implementing any financial package to compensate anyone, especially the poor and marginalised, for the losses sustained on account of the lock down that he has imposed on us.
Below is what our Constitution says about the issue:
“75. Consolidated Fund
All revenues or other monies raised or received by Grenada (not being revenues or other monies that are payable, by or under any law for the time being in force in Grenada, into some other fund established for any specific purpose) shall be paid into and form a Consolidated Fund.
- Withdrawals from Consolidated Fund or other public funds
(1) No monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except—
(a) to meet expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by this Constitution or by any law enacted by Parliament; or
(b) where the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Appropriation law or by a law made in pursuance of section 78 of this Constitution.
(2) Where any monies are charged by this Constitution or any law enacted by Parliament upon the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund, they shall be paid out of that fund by the Government of Grenada to the person or authority to whom payment is due.
(3) No monies shall be withdrawn from any public fund other than the Consolidated Fund unless the issue of those monies has been authorised by or under any law.
(4) Parliament may prescribe the manner in which withdrawals may be made from the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund.”
So, all of Khief’s talk about relief measures is just hot air coming from the mouth of a man who is used to fooling and manipulating people to win elections to control their lives. If you listened well to the April 6th press conference you would have realised that Nicky sold out the game plan of Khief. They are relying on the fact that they convinced you to let them win the last elections 15-0, so you will just blindly follow whatever they say.
WELL MY GRENADIAN PEOPLE, WE SHOWED THEM JUST BEFORE THAT ELECTION AND JUST AFTERWARDS, THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ALLOWED THEM TO RULE FOR 5 YEARS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WILL JUST DO WHATEVER THEY SAY. REMEMBER THE REFERENDUM!
Ignore the poor, they will come around
I listened to the Prime Minister in his April 6th press briefing and it was like a broken record. “We all have to sacrifice for the good of all”. “It’s not me, is what the committee recommend”. Who is running Grenada now? Who is providing guidance to us?
Then Minister Steele in his unacceptably rude manner tries to make out that Grenadians seem to be the unruliest people in the world. Apparently, we are to blame for the lock down because we are not obeying orders to stay at home. We did not follow the prescription rigidly so we have to take some more medicine. He even threatened to swear at us Grenadians, to use “an adjective” to reinforce his point.
I am very sure that Nicky cannot address his wife, son and daughter in the same tone as he has been using to Grenadians. Mr. Prime Minister, I reject and strenuously object to the choice of language and tone that has been consistently adopted by your Minister of Health.
Khief and Nicky, in case you haven’t noticed it, the same thing is happening all over the world because most people cannot bear the very thought of being locked up. Maybe if you have had to spend some time behind bars you would be able to appreciate that liberty.
Several people have committed suicide over the past few weeks just on account of the thought of being under lock down for an unspecified period. Even the owner of our latest hotel, Silver Sands, has reportedly threatened to commit suicide if the lock down is not ended soon in his country. Have a heart! Our people are not rebels; it is just that some of us cannot stand the restriction of our freedom of movement.
Sirs, I deeply resent that, because of your obvious ignorance, you have shown complete disregard for the position of others and have chosen to wantonly trample upon the fundamental rights of Grenadians. IT IS A BIG THING TO US, EVEN IF IT IS NOT TO YOU!
The attitude and action of these blind leaders show a complete lack of appreciation and understanding of our people and their plight. The lock down may not affect Nicky and Khief and their group significantly at all but tell that to over 80% of our people who live from pay check to pay check. Tell that to over 40% of Grenadians who do not have a steady and consistent job. Tell that to the countless number who do not have any job at all, but depend on an everyday hustle on the block to survive and even feed children and loved ones. Tell that to the hundreds of barbers, hairdressers and small business people that this NNP administration encouraged over the years to invest their time and little money in the hope of a turnover to sustain themselves and their families.
I have only heard talk about relief for “hospitality-based” businesses, whatever that means. Then too, a lot of persons who you see on the streets really do not have a proper home to remain in. Surely, that is the reason why Khief and company have been using the Chinese to build the thousands of cheap apartments and houses for Grenadians.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, when you say stay at home what does that mean to so many of the poor who are bunched up together in one room or even one or two-bedroom shacks? When you talk about self-isolation what does it mean to one who occupies a small house where 6 or more people live with one inside toilet and bathroom or maybe only a latrine and outside shower?
When more than half of our population depends on agriculture and fishing to survive why are you trying to argue on the national stage that these are not essential services? In fact, what Khief and company have admitted is that they have not been able to come up with any strategy to deal with the services that are essential to the poor of our nation. THEY CANNOT SAY THAT THE SERVICES ARE NOT ESSENTIAL.
In fact, the fisherman can enter his boat from his village, do his fishing at sea and dock at the fish market, to sell his fish, observing all the principles of social distancing during the process, re-enter his boat and return to his village without interfacing with anyone else at all.
The fish vendor can still ply his or her trade at the fish market, just as at the grocery or village store, observing all of the protocols. Is it that Khief and company are just lazy or is it that they just don’t care or just couldn’t be bothered?
Why can’t the farmer just leave his home and go to his garden and, as the Prim Minister said in the press conference, the entire neighbourhood will be the watchdogs for if he abuses the exemption to farm his lands? He goes to his lands and works and then returns home. He is producing food for us and supplementing and preventing the import of food from the farmers in the USA and other Caribbean countries that are still in their lands producing.
Why can’t our Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) in this crisis time provide temporary centers in ever parish or key area where Farmers can maintain social distancing and bring their produce for certain sale? Even if the MNIB has a lot of spoilage it is a small price to pay for placing money in the hands of the poor farmers. Khief and company can then go to Parliament and compensate MNIB for their proven losses.
WHY, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, CAN’T AN EXCEPTION BE MADE FOR MNIB FOR THE SALE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM OUR FARMERS? ARE OUR LEADERS TOO BLIND TO SEE THAT THEY ARE NOW DESTROYING THE VERY CONCEPT OF IMPORT SUBSTITUTION AND SELF-SUSTAINING PRODUCTION?
Keep your fingers crossed
Our blind leaders have no plan and are relying more on hope than on anything else. I have listened to all the press conferences and I am yet to hear of any plan; just regulation upon regulation, and adjustments upon adjustments.
- There is no plan for general testing of anyone;
- The government has refused to take responsibility on our behalf for isolating the persons known to be infected and we are not told who the persons are;
iii. There is no plan to identify persons who have recovered from the Virus; - There is no plan to learn any lesson from our experience with the Virus;
- There is no plan to provide relief to persons affected by the measures ordered by Government, especially the poor and vulnerable in Grenada.
I repeat a part of the above quote:
In theory, less physical interaction might slow the rate of new infections. But without a good understanding of how long COVID-19 viral particles survive in air, in water, and on contact surfaces, even that is speculative. Without reliable information on what proportion of the population has already been exposed and successfully fought off the coronavirus, it’s worth questioning the value of social-isolation controls.
At present we have no idea of how many people have been infected in Grenada, we have done very limited testing and have refused to reveal how many tests have been actually done. That is even more crucial in light of new research which suggests that up to maybe 50% of affected persons are asymptomatic and show no signs of the virus.
The raw truth is that we have embarked upon a series of measures that have taken us into a virtual tailspin from which we have no plan of escape. How will we know when to try to get back to normal? It is like having a hidden assassin waiting around our dwelling to execute us and we are unable to determine where he his hiding. How do we exit the building and where should we pass?(Fingers crossed)
The failure to implement a vigorous system of testing in the very early stages, as I suggested about 5 weeks ago, has robbed the lock down of most, if not all of its effectiveness, since we are locking down infected persons with persons who are not infected.
I pray fervently every day that we might be spared the eventuality of the Virus entering one of our poorer or less fortunate communities.(Fingers crossed)
It seems that we are just floating along or just stumbling along, shackled together with the chains imposed by Khief and company who themselves do not know the road, nor where they are leading us to. After all these economic losses, how do we get going again?
Mr. Prime Minister, the losses to the Consolidated Fund is not your loss but our loss! Get to Parliament and let us truly try to develop a plan of relief and a plan of resurgence that is tailor-made to suit our economy and our own unique way of life. We cannot borrow wholesale from anyone else. Then again, how can we trust your group when your Minister of hHealth has stated quite clearly in the very first press conference and without any subsequent retraction, that you are not prepared to even hear or listen to “activists”?
Well it sounds very much like the “counter revolutionaries” (or the “nihilists” to use the words of the President of the Senate, lol, how things change!) who were hounded down and even assassinated during the Grenada Revolution.
Whatever label may be attached to me, I am simply a Grenadian that is grateful for this lock down in some way, because it has given me more time to reflect and to think deeply about our nation. I am committed to expressing my views freely for the benefit of our nation and will not tow the line of any political party or organisation, once I perceive that any policy or lack thereof is contrary to our national interests.
(Cajeton Hood is an attorney-at-law who served Attorney General in the 2013-18 term in office of the New National Party government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell)