Twists and Turns

In this never-a-dull-moment country of ours it is always a challenge to choose a single topic for discussion, hence today’s roving commentary.

Road carnage

The pathetic response of the police to the numerous road accidents (fatal and non-fatal) shows why we will have to keep pulling twisted bodies out of twisted wrecks. Constantly appealing to drivers to be more careful has not worked in the past but seems to be the only strategy thus far.

The breathalyser will certainly be a breath of fresh air, but the slow pace of prosecution and conviction in the courts will undermine its impact as a deterrent to drunk driving. We fail to realise that an effective and expeditious justice system is a necessary and natural complement to law enforcement.

Drag racing

How can the police claim to be serious about enforcing discipline on the roads when they support, condone and encourage illegal drag racing? Every weekend illegal drag racing takes place along the Rienzi-Kirton Highway, alongside Skinner Park in San Fernando. Hundreds of youth gather by the burger stalls in front of the Cross Crossing Shopping Complex with pimped wheels ready to make an impression. These fancy cars violate almost every single law in the Motor Vehicles and Traffic Act. They convert the road into a private drag racing circuit under the watch of officers from the San Fernando Police Station and the Marabella

E 999 Response Unit.

I have witnessed uniformed police officers in marked police vehicles cordon off the road on Saturday nights to facilitate this illegal drag racing. Some officers come to buy burgers and take in the show as cars twist and turn, attempt stunts and veer off into the crowd. And don’t bother reporting the matters as a heavy bribe is paid to the police to secure their co-operation. The new Reform Bypass road is the latest competitive drag racing strip.

Police brutality

My client Pacheco Vincent whose four front teeth were cuffed in until they had to be removed and who was beaten with a piece of cable and PVC is one victim of abuse by police officers. Over five years ago Pacheco had made a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and to date the promised investigation is yet to begin. This case highlights, once again, the impotence if not incompetence of the PCA. The time has come for us to do a U-turn and review the efficacy of this important institution as less than 20 per cent of the complaints made are investigated. Are we serious about cleansing the police service of the negative elements?

UNC Alliance

The fundamental flaw in Panday’s laudable but meretricious leadership council concept is that it fails to take into account the fact that our political culture is based on the concept of a single leader who must be clearly identified. The inevitable question of the ultimate leader has, therefore, arisen and Panday must now navigate his way through this delicate and sensitive issue.

Panday has indicated that he has no interest in being leader of the council but it is unclear whether this means that he is no longer interested in being political leader of the alliance as he has cleverly twisted opened up the escape hatch with “it’s up to the people to chose their leader.” The fear of his dominating influence remains because, as the late Lloyd Best often said, he is the only genuine and true politician left.

One thing for sure, he understands the game and knows how to execute a U-turn with consummate ease. He’s in the news more than any other politician for sure. Dookeran is caught between a rock and a hard place. He can only unite if Panday is removed from the political equation because of the personal humiliation and overriding concern about his integrity. He also is concerned about the impact such a move would have on his now-not-insignificant political following that values a clean cut image and remains anti-Panday. The problem in all of this is whether Panday destroys Dookeran or vice versa.

I wonder what their epitaph would say. They might have won a single important personal battle but lost sight of the real war on behalf of the people. It is to be seen whether the masses can appreciate the integrity and principle in personality before politics and people.

by Anand Ramlogan 2007-07-15