Former head of the public service Reginald Dumas is blaming political interference for the “confusion” surrounding the collapse of the Integrity Commission.
He said that in response to questions at yesterday’s launch of a new pressure group, Resett 1962, to mobilise citizens to ensure there is a meaningful process towards participatory governance.
Dumas said the new initiative was a long-term one to give citizens more involvement in the governance of the country.
“It is a long-term thing. It is not tied to the general election on September 7. It is tied to the improvement of the level of education and information in the society so that people could make the proper choices down the road,” he explained.
On Friday, President Anthony Carmona was effectively stopped by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley from appointing two new members to the commission.
That as Rowley wrote to Carmona claiming there was no effective consultation with him on the appointments.
Under the Constitution, the President must consult with the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister on such appointments. Carmona has deferred the appointments of the two new nominees and has given Rowley until June 22 to respond.
One of the vacancies was created after deputy chairman Justice Sebastian Ventour resigned after a May 19 press release was issued by the commission claiming the Emailgate probe was being discontinued for lack of evidence.
Ventour was sharply critical of his former colleagues, saying the probe had not been completed as all the information needed had not been received.
Another commission member, Dr Shelly Anne Lalchan, also resigned after the press release was issued but stated her decision was based on personal reasons.
Questioned about perceived failure of such bodies to function effectively in the past years, Dumas said: “There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the institutions (but) there may be the need for some changes or amendments.”
He said the problems were caused by “political interference” and commissioners “who are not perhaps as strong as one might like them to be.”
He said such open challenges by members of a commission would not have happened in the past because the members were stronger and more independent.
“It is the way the institutions have been handled and have been allowed to be handled by a lot of us over the years,” he added.
Dumas also took issue with the recent Petrotrin advertisement in which a member of the commission, Deonarine Jaggernauth, appeared.
“How can a member of the Integrity Commission be in an ad for a commercial organisation, whose executives have to submit their declarations to that very commission of which he is a member. Where have we gone?” Dumas asked.
The ad has since been pulled after Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley raised objections. Jaggernauth, a former employee of Petrotrin, had endorsed the company in the ad.
Election watch
Former head of the public service Reginald Dumas believes the 2015 general election campaign will be the nastiest and most vicious in T&T’s history.
He said that in response to questions during yesterday’s launch of a new pressure group, called Resett 1962, at Hotel Normandie, St Ann’s.
He added: “It is going to be the nastiest election campaign that this country will ever have seen.
“This one is going to be particularly vicious and nasty. It is not going to be uplifting at all, I regret to say. This does not help the country.”
He said the nasty and vicious campaign has already started “and it will only get worse.”
Objective of group
The group’s objective is to create and foster a platform for the development, discussion and dissemination of ideas and opinions towards:
• Increasing commitment among all our citizens to the principles of participatory governance.
• Advocating for the development of political, social and economic institutions rooted in the principles of participatory governance.
• Insisting that our governments respect the principles of participatory governance in their respective policy-making and implementation.