…AG
You’d think Attorney General Basil Williams would’ve been kissing Nigel Hughes’ ring every chance he gets after the latter saved his blushes in the wake of the NCM. After all, if Hughes hadn’t gratuitously tossed his “half-man” straw into the roiling waters, Williams and his PNC crew would’ve been yesterday’s news by now. He, his President, Prime Minister, party leader and the entire PNC Administration had stoically accepted their fate – which was dashed by their backbencher Charrandas Persaud.
They all then grasped at Hughes’ straw that claimed an “absolute” majority of 34 was necessary and headed to the courts. Where they’ve been given a reprieve till May 10 to get their rigging plans in place. So why would Williams now viciously lash out at Hughes who merely suggested that with the Administration banking on oil after 2010, the legislation regulating the sector wasn’t up to snuff and the AG has some responsibility for that?
Williams incredibly insisted that “the Government” was responsible for legislation and he, as Minister of Legal Affairs, was only responsible for “drafting” legislation proposed by the Government. Really?? So the legislation would drop from the skies into the “Government’s” lap?? Isn’t the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General part of the Government – more specifically, that part responsible for the legal aspects of its business? Especially when his Legal Ministry’s website declares – “Our Mission: To ensure that proper legal services are provided to the Government”??
If we’re entering the most transformative phase of our nation’s history with oil, wasn’t it the responsibility of Williams to ensure that the Government be provided with “proper legal services”? Hughes wasn’t saying that the experts in oil legislation should’ve sprouted by magic in the AG’s office, but couldn’t he have requested the hiring of such experts from outside, until we cultivate some home grown ones?? Isn’t this what he’s been doing in most of his new cases with all those high-priced QC’s after his losing streak became worse than the West Indies against England in the last T20 series?
But all Williams could come up with was to snidely snipe that the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill drafted by Hughes’ Steering Committee was so badly drafted it had to be “salvaged”. Imagine that!! Williams didn’t even realise he was indicting his Government for falling down on their constitutional change promise!! Hughes shot back that maybe the President and PM would’ve been “salvaged” if Williams had been on his toes for the NCM.
But Hughes probably forgot that after the NCM, Williams insisted he knew 34 votes were needed and just didn’t tell anyone.
He didn’t want the PPP to know how many they needed to switch!!
…Housing Minister
This PNC Government – let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? – has committed more corrupt acts per annum that even its first iteration, much less than the PPP. And it isn’t just a matter of the intensity but the perversity about the mindset of the PNC when they commit fraud and corruption in the identical areas they’d accused the PPP. Don’t they think that once forewarned, the populace would be forearmed?
So here we have it, the PNC started ripping into Irfaan Ali, the moment he was elected as the PPP’s Presidential Candidate, by alleging “corruption” when he was Minister of Housing. Then, lo and behold, the CH&PA admitting that when the HUSBAND of the PNC Housing Minister Yearwood is executing housing contracts under her watch there has to be a CONFLICT OF INTEREST!
And this didn’t occur to the Minister when she asked her husband, “How did your day go, dear?” Even after said husband’s unpaid sub-contractor wrote letters to her and the President?
But then Trotman never enacted that Ministerial Code of Conduct, did he?
…Prime Minister
PM Nagamootoo’s one bitter sore loser. Eight years after Ramotar pipped him in his bid to be the presidential candidate for the PPP, he’s still maligning the man!
But then he’ll never be President, will he?
