PM has power to dismiss cabal
Dear Editor
As a supporter of the PP Government, I am disturbed by the repeated accusation that there is a so called cabal in the government of Kamla Persad Bissessar. Interestingly while this accusation has been made particularly by Jack Warner, media practitioners have also been referring to the “cabal” with a frequency that almost makes it a truth. The media like jack Warner has failed to give tangible evidence of the existence of a cabal. The life that has thus been given to this accusation must have been of concern to those so accused especially since it has become a topic for national discussion.
The most reckless accusation and, paradoxically, the one most difficult one to defend oneself against is the accusation that is made with absolutely no evidence. If evidence is offered one is able to refute it; when there is no evidence, there is nothing to refute, but the accusation does not disappear. JW knows this and thus keeps repeating the empty words.
What is blatantly noticeable is that other Cabinet colleagues have not commented on the matter of a cabal. What this purports to indicate is either that they have dismissed the notion of its existence or they agree that it exists and are allowing the accusation to persist.
What I do know is that Cabinet collectively makes decisions and that Cabinet is collectively responsible. Even in the case of the Fire Truck Jack Warner raised the defence of collective responsibility. I would hate to think that the Cabinet members allow themselves to be railroaded with decisions which they disagree with. Indeed as I understand it many cabinet notes are sent to the Finance and General Purposes Meeting for discussion where Ministers who have an interest in the matter make their voices felt.
The PM spoke clearly on this matter in the recent campaign, but the accusation continues to be made. The Westminster model of government gives great power to the PM in the formation of her Cabinet. If she feels that Cabinet members are limiting her freedom to act and impeding her will, there is nothing preventing her from dismissing such members. She has no reason to tolerate a “cabal” in the government and has the power to remove any such group. That she has not done so is clear evidence that she does not see the existence of such a group.
The genesis of this accusation is the resignation of JW from Cabinet….it was never made while he was a member and his resignation has nothing to do with the accusation. Every leader, PM or President has trusted persons that he or she turns to for advice and for dialogue- this is in the nature of politics; to characterize this as somehow a sinister cabal is completely disingenuous and misleading. It is also interesting, a point made by Dr. Moonilal on the political hustings that no member of the so called cabal has acted as PM but Jack Warner acted on several occasions. Was he then a member of the inner circle of the PM? Is his accusation now a matter of sour grapes? The Cabal is a fictitious creation of JW- it exists only in his mind; one of his many baseless accusations. It expresses his own wish to be the sole voice of authority and control in the Cabinet. I have often heard the PM in responding to the media say that she has not consulted her MP’s. It is well known that she consults all her MP’s on matters of governance. This in itself negates the idea of a cabal.
Further the PM has been a strong leader and has not failed to discipline member of her cabinet, even at the risk of causing instability in her government. Cabal – a convenient whipping horse for jack Warner in a country that loves labels and bacchanal. Sadly political commentators have latched on to it because it is good fodder for readers. Sadly, the political commentators are also showing how shallow they are and how gullible.
A Karim