Make It Short And Sweet Max
The President will break his silence tonight. This time he should realize it can be golden.
What will President Max Richards say this time?
A couple of weeks ago, he broke his silence about the Integrity Commission fiasco and made things even worse as he proceeded to blame other people for the mess.
Tonight at eight, he will make, presumably, another attempt to set the record straight or maybe give a hint at the people who will constitute the new Integrity Commission. However, constitutionally, he is obliged to consult with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition before making appointments. He doesn’t have to take their advice but can act on his own.
The President met with Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Wednesday but the Prime Minister has declined to say what the discussions were all about.
As a protocol, both men usually have weekly meetings once each party is in the country.
Richards has been under severe fire from several quarters, in particular, from the Law Association which castigated him for bringing his office into disrepute, recommending that he should resign.
Obviously, Richards cannot ignore censure from such a prominent national organisation-or maybe he just will.
It is not an easy job to find people of unblemished character, high ideals and who do not aspire to be, at least, deputy chairman of the Commission as, unfortunately, was the ambition of one retired high court judge who had the gumption to go public.
There are a few good people around but the depressing truth is that Trinidad and Tobago is, essentially, a petty, miserable, materialistic society of office seekers, social climbers, and otherwise individuals of the congosah scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours mentality, so best of luck to Max Richards.
And make it short and sweet tonight.