Caribupdate Weekly Editorial
THERE is always an air of positivity over the starting of a new parliamentary term — always coming on the heels of election campaigns that, by their very nature these days, are bruising.
The ceremonial coming together of people from all sides of the political divide always provides — albeit sometimes temporary — some closure from the bitterness.
This year’s session that was held Wednesday, provides its own historic backdrop coming in the wake of the 15-all victory of the New National Party.
While it is the second time in history there has been such a clean sweep, our constitutional realities are yet to come to terms with a system — which was devised to have an official opposition — not having one.
The people who have advocated constitutional reform will use the current scenario as Exhibit A in their argument for the need for reform.
This advocacy is given fresh poignancy in the wake of the death of Professor Simeon McIntosh, that proud Grenadian constitutional scholar, who has been leading the modern-day effort to make more meaning of our constitution.
The current situation also segues into the decision by the Governor General Sir Carlyle Glean to appoint three senior members of the National Democratic Congress as senators.
The decision, especially the nomination of now former MP Nazim Burke — perhaps the biggest polarizing figure within the NDC — has raised a lot of eyebrows and created a lot of chatter.
It will be difficult, if not impossible, to get firsthand what went into the Governor General’s decision-making, which brings us to another point of the democracy we inherit — an office with so much power that is technically accountable to no one; at least no one in Grenada.
But in making those decisions, Sir Carlyle apparently opted to play the role of activist, rather than cautious statesman; thinking in a proportional representation mindset instead of the system we have — first pass the post.
While given our constitution, the Governor General has the power to chose whom he may to serve as so-called opposition senators in the absence of a de facto opposition, there also must be a moral and political mindset that has to be brought to bear when making decisions, such as this one.
With the election still fresh, he would not have quickly forgotten that the men and woman he sought to bring back to the parliament, were just rejected by the electorate.
In a system of first-pass-the-post, this should have been the moral and political sub-text that should have influenced the decision.
The Governor General’s decision will also heavily influence the direction of the National Democratic Congress, which must meet before the end of the year in convention to decide on its next generation of leaders.
Having not consulted former Prime Minister Tillman Thomas (by his own admission), that he is considering three of his more senior party members for the positions, the GG, maybe unintentionally, was deciding for the opposition that Thomas’ time has passed.
But it also serves to increase the profile of the three appointed (Burke; George Vincent and Franka Bernadine), making it difficult for any young upstart with real potential, such as Adrian Thomas and Joseph Andall, to launch an effective campaign to lead the next generation.
The nominations were, in effect, the first vote cast at NDC’s next convention.
In doing so, the GG not only fretted thousands who voted to see the backs of Burke and company, but hundreds of potential NDC delegates who have been quietly speaking about a new dawn with entirely fresh leadership.
The nominations were the single most activist decision by a Governor General since independence.
And it promises to have an influence over the national politic long after he leaves office — a transition watchers say would have been hastened by his bold (or reckless) move this past week.
