T&T Opposition: Where is the accountability Penny?

Twelve days have now elapsed since Senator Janelle John-Bates submitted her letter of resignation to the Leader of the Opposition on May 1, yet Pennelope Beckles remains locked in an indefinite state of inertia.This lengthy failure to act now threatens to undermine the very foundation of the Opposition party, whose political and moral standing Beckles must well appreciate as a longstanding member of the People’s National Movement (PNM).For a party that has spent the better part of this term aggressively demanding the heads of the Minister of Homeland Security and other government officials over matters of accountability and performance, this paralysis can justifiably be deemed by many as hypocritical.

If Beckles, who took over leadership of the PNM following the defeat suffered at the hands of the United National Congress last year, has a legitimate reason for not wanting to accept the resignation over John-Bates’ apparent unethical parliamentary conduct, saying nothing for so long is simply not the way to go.As a seasoned attorney and politician, Beckles is well aware that while it is easy to demand high standards of your opponents, the true test of leadership is whether you can apply those same standards to yourself.One cannot point a finger at the Government benches on ethical issues while clutching a resignation letter for nearly two weeks and seeming to excuse unacceptable political behaviour by Senator John-Bates, who was caught red-handed contributing to a witness statement for former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh ahead of his presentation before the very parliamentary committee on which she sat, The Committee on Public Administration and Appropriations.

Beckles must therefore disabuse herself of the notion that this issue will simply vanish if ignored long enough.By failing to respond, Beckles ought to be aware that she is allowing a narrative of indecision to take root, risking a signal to the electorate that the party is unprepared for the rigours of governance if called upon at the appointed time.A “government in waiting” cannot afford to be seen dithering when its own ranks appear compromised.Yet every day that passes without a definitive decision from her only serves to erode the moral authority of the Opposition.The time for “careful consideration” has ended.

T&T Guardian Editorial