Major matters for Prime Minister Friday

OVER THE WEEKEND and into this Monday, social media and radio talk shows became alive over an apparent leaked document which contained the supposed composition of the members of boards of directors of government statutory corporations.

There was some anger about the manner in which this supposed unofficial information was being circulated.

Our political environment has, for some time, operated like that. One opposition party or the other has been known to exalt the virtues of what they have termed “white angels”, persons who leak official documents to persons outside the government service. The right or wrong of such actions have not been questioned as long as they are convenient to the recipients.

This document being circulated has angered a number of persons, many of who claim they are supporters of the governing New Democratic Party. But from the comments we have observed and heard, their disgust is not so much about the manner in which the information is being circulated but more about the composition of the members of the boards.

This is most interesting, because such information should by right or custom have been disclosed in the official Government Gazette. Such a document is one which is usually seen only by a rather select sector of the public. Indeed, the very manner of obtaining a copy does not encourage widespread circulation. An interested person has to first go to the Office of the Prime Minister, obtain an order to purchase same, then pay the princely sum of $2.00 at the Treasury.Then one proceeds to Campden Park to the Government Printers to pick up this prized document.

In a modern world, one would think that such an important document would be sold easily at an outlet in the city or at designated book stores if there is real interest in members of the public being able to peruse this gazette. But moreover, should this Government Gazette not be put online on the relevant government website?

It would seem that SVG, as a former British colony after 47 years since we reclaimed our formal Independence, has not caught up with the practice in the UK, for instance, where a similar document is available online as an official public record, fully digitized, searchable and free to access.

The more pressing public interest here, however, seems to be more about which persons have been appointed to which boards. This heightened interest is relatively new, as in the past, it would seem that most persons were only minimally concerned about boards and their composition. This, one may choose to see as perhaps the beginnings of a deepening of our democratic processes in the area of public scrutiny.

In this, persons are finding out that their support for a governing party comes with serious limitations where certain levels of decision making is concerned. It is evident from comments posted online and expressed on radio that there is much dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile the latest official gazette should be available today for all- or at least those who are seriously interestedfor perusal.

But, with an important 50th Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government due from the 24th to 27th this month, Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday has bigger fish to fry.

Major matters for our Prime Minister and his CARICOM colleagues include: issues related to the security of our multi-island paradise coming so soon after the US Southern Command bombed fishermen in our waters; how to manage the unpopular pressures to break our agreement with Cuban medical personnel; and accepting third party deportees from the United States.

Given this background confirmation from the US Embassy in Barbados that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in St Kitts Nevis during this meeting heightens expectations about CARICOM’s traditional support for Cuba and relations with China making this forum all the more important.

These issues come alongside the question of strengthening a fractured unity which emerged as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissesar, broke rank with the rest of CARICOM over the US’ adventures into Venezuela which resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicholas Maduro.