Another sleepless night, when I go to bed thinking about the plight of the poor, working- class Grenadian in this time of crisis.
Another sleepless night, when I reflect on the unconscionable rape of our democratic institutions by Khief and his gang.
Another sleepless night, when I try to put myself in the place of so many single parents in Grenada at this time (My father supported a wife and 14 children on a primary school headmaster’s wages and hard work in agriculture).
Another sleepless night, when I consider that the representative of Her Majesty in Grenada, Her Majesty who addressed her subjects so eloquently, passionately and caringly this past week, remains silent and cannot bring herself to stand up for the Queen’s subjects in Grenada and the constitutional democracy that she represents.
In the premises, I say to you Madame Governor General, it is time for you to go!
Your office has been used under the constitution of Grenada to declare a State of Emergency over Grenada.
The advice of Khief and his gang has caused severe embarrassment to you since, less than one week later, you have had to withdraw your first declaration and proclaim another amended version. Were they in a rush or were they just, incompetent?
If that is not enough, your declaration has been used as the cover to pass all manner of most oppressive and thoughtless rules and regulations that continue to cause unnecessary grief and hardship to our people. I sincerely doubt that you have even been consulted on the various regulations, as you ought to have been.
- Governor-General to be informed concerning matters of government
The Prime Minister shall keep the Governor-General fully informed concerning the general conduct of the government of Grenada and shall furnish the Governor-General with such information as he or she may request with respect to any particular matter relating to the government of Grenada.
Madame, when you take a good look at the questionable deeds that have been executed in your name by your government, as you often say, and under your watch, if you cannot justify them, then it is time for you to go.
Madame, please tell me how you are able to justify your failure or refusal to issue the instrument of appointment to Hon. Tobias Clement as Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition in Grenada? Section 62 of Grenada’s Constitution tells you the manner in which you must exercise your functions.
- Exercise of Governor-General’s functions
(1) In the exercise of his or her functions the Governor-General shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet except in cases where he or she is required by this Constitution or any other law to act in accordance with the advice of any person or authority other than the Cabinet or in his or her own deliberate judgement.
(2) During any period in which there is a vacancy in the office of Leader of the Opposition by reason of the fact that no person is both qualified for appointment to that office in accordance with this Constitution and willing to accept appointment, the Governor-General may act without the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and in his or her own deliberate judgement in the exercise of any power in respect of which it is provided in this Constitution that he or she shall act on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.
Firstly, Section 62 (2) above, indicates that the charade, where you have appointed what appears to be Khief’s choices to Senate positions instead of the absent Leader of the Opposition, has been brought to an end forthwith upon the notice given to you by Hon. Tobias Clement of his intention.
Even the loyal supporter of Khief, the President of the Senate has lamented repeatedly about the abject lack of content in the debate at the Senate level by your appointees. You can read his comments on the Government’s own website and in itself it is a clear indictment of the wanton and negligent manner in which you have used your power. Is it that you are tired and fed up with the pressure and do not care as much anymore? Should that be the case, then, it is time for you to go.
Furthermore, Section 62(1) above, gives you no discretion regarding the timing or choice regarding the issue of the instrument of appointment to the Opposition Leader.
- Because no time is set within which to issue the instrument of appointment, it must be done as soon as is reasonably practicable. In the present circumstance, during a State of Emergency that has been issued by you, it is crucial to create a balance in Parliament especially since the Cabinet has taken on unusual law-making powers.
- Once the individual, Hon. Tobias Clement in this case, is qualified you have absolutely no discretion but to appoint him as Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition without delay.
Our constitution is pellucid on this point.
- 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.
There is now an occasion to appoint a Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition and it must be done forthwith! When the constitution says, as it says on this point, that you SHALL act in your own deliberate judgment, it means, according to Section 62(1), that you must not act according to the advice or opinion of any minister, including the Prime Minister, or the Cabinet.
Khief has said publicly that he does not agree that now is a good time for Hon. Tobias Clement to be appointed as the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. Well that is his own political, scheming business!
Madame, you have a duty to perform on account of your office and if you hesitate to perform your duty, whether from fear of or favour to Khief’s opinion or advice, then, it is time for you to go.
Khief and company, under your watch, have refused to assemble Parliament to discuss matters related to this crisis in a public forum. Khief and his gang knew or ought to have known about the developing crisis since the latter part of 2019, yes 2019. That is why the virus is called COVID-19!
Didn’t our resident ambassador to China brief her father, the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the developments in China? Isn’t this the reason why we are paying huge sums of money to have her in China? Did she and her father take the initiative, as they ought to have done, to seek and secure early assistance from the Chinese government on this matter?
Khief and his gang have stubbornly resisted coming to Parliament to pass laws to bring relief to poor and suffering Grenadians. Yet, our Prime Minister, quite unabashedly decides to use the Government of Grenada’s resources to wage a war of words with the Prime Minister of the country that is in closest proximity to Grenada over a simple offer to assist in providing essentials that your uncaring government has failed or refused to cater for.
This is quite shameful, in my view, and could have been addressed very artfully and respectfully by a simple telephone call (if the Prime Ministers were “on speaking terms”). This appears to me to be like some silly drama between 2 teenage girls over some petty issue (lol).
Madame, I know that you have much more class than this and that the conduct of this administration has caused you shame and contempt on divers occasions. I certainly know you to be a strong independent woman, so do not act in any manner that is out of character; it is time for you to go.
(Cajeton Hood is an Attorney-at-law who served as Attorney General in the 2013-18 term in office of the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party administration)