That Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister

Talking about polka, can we move on a bit to the shuffle... the Cabinet reshuffle?
Prime Minister it is clear that several members of the Cabinet have not made the transition from private to public business.
I had asked you early o'clock to bring them in school and teach them the process for decision making and knowing when to open their mouths. Prime Minister, the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan is the perfect example of how your selection has failed. Ramlogan comes from a profession that is mediocre at best and where a bad lawyer can look good. He made his name and a lot of money on the back of foolish decisions made by former Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
Madam Prime Minister, Manning cantered away leaving the law and due process in his sorry wake. Fortunately for us he didn't canter towards the winning pole in the May 24 elections.
Anand seized the opportunity and the attendant publicity. His column in the Guardian newspaper was a lot of rambling and very, very limited.
Next thing, he is there alongside you on May 26, exactly five months ago being sworn in as Attorney General because he won a few matters against the state.
He entered office and behaved as if he was still fighting everybody...he would put Manning in jail, start a public enquiry on everything, send Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson into the arms of US jurisprudence.
Madam Prime Minister, how did you ever allow Ramlogan to put both Mark Seepersad and Gerald Ramdeen on the team that will investigate five state companies? Just google those two names and you will see how often they appeared together. Do they belong to the same law firm?
And Madam Prime Minister where did you get the Minister of Health from? And why did you have to pull Nan Ramgoolam out of the ashes and make her Minister of Public Administration?
Public servants might be annoyed at the one percent over three years that the Chief Personnel Officer has offered them, but they are more annoyed by the little bulls you have running around their offices, trampling on everything.
I am glad at least that Anand has gone quiet these days. And Madam Prime Minister when you fire a whole bunch of them please don't say "Read my lips". Because we don't know what those lips will say when they announce the new bunch of misfits.

Stay away from style...

Here is a picture of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding which appeared in South Bound on September 12.
A reader from the Netherlands sent me two pictures from the Waterkant website to show that I may be stuck in a time warp. She (asked for her name to be withheld) said I was somewhat unfair in my criticisms of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and while I may be spot on with the political commentary I should leave the style and entertainment arena alone.
In the first picture Surinamese First Lady Ingrid Bouterse wears what appears to be a polka dot dress as she visits the visually impaired children at the Blind Centre in Paramaribo. She wore tinted glasses as she was led around by the kids on a tour of the facilities. Let me here compliment Mrs. Bouterse for some of the activities she has been engaged in as First Lady since August 12. Stories were attached by the reader from the Netherlands.
The second is a picture of Jamaican singer Busy Signal at a back to school party at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall, also in Paramaribo. Busy Signal is accompanied by a dancer on stage. You may express your opinion in the comments box instead of sending email messages.

Take a deep breath.........count to 10

Madam Prime Minister, I notice that your ministers are talking first and thinking later. If you are indeed in charge, and not a figurehead, it might be time for you to take a position. In the first place Jack Warner opened his mouth on the use of the bus route and then said he would listen to suggestions. Secondly he opened his mouth even bigger about the PH taxis and when there is an uproar he will listen to suggestions. On the issue of the water taxis, on the one hand Warner is going to sell some of them and on the other he is going to expand the service to include two other terminals.
Madam Prime Minister, if I may say so, this sounds suspiciously like Patrick Manning. "For all those who protesting, it will not only be two smelter, they will get three".
Madam Prime Minister, in case you have forgotten, it is that type of attitude which hustled Manning out of power. He had become so brash he could say anything he wanted. And he would spend loud money on consultations so people could listen to him and he could stuff his ears with cotton wool when it was their turn to talk.
The other issue Madam is the attack on the Chief Justice by one of your ministers. Madam Prime Minister, the record is clear on what the man said during the budget debate. And the record is equally clear on what he said in his explanation in the same august chamber.... a poor attempt at making excuses.
Madam Prime Minister, please remember that Manning had launched a vicious attack on a Chief Justice he perceived was sympathetic to your party. Now your front bench has shown that they are not averse to attacking a Chief Justice they perceive is sympathetic to the PNM. Madam Prime Minister this can only get worse. It started with Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj when Michael de La Bastide was Chief Justice and spiralled out of control with Manning while Sat Sharma held the office. Now the attacks have descended to the realm of the obscene. The cost of housing the Chief Justice for one year is the same as the cost of your ten day trip to New York for the Indian Independence Day parade.
Does anyone remember, Prime Minister, an incident that posed a security risk to the CJ outside his private residence. I vaguely remember this incident and I have been unable so far to get information on it, but I will continue to search. Failing that Prime Minister, I will concede that I am wrong.