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“Have you ever seen a TV show called Vikings?” Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked Dr Morgan Job, who was one of her three interviewers last night.
‘Vikings’, in case you don’t know, is an Irish-Canadian television drama that is not short of historical inaccuracies but big on sacking and plundering. It was a simpler time when tendering policy was usually “take what you can carry” and ship captains never asked to see CVs.
(Courtesy Jyoti Communications)
Mr Live Wire could say much more about that. But it would be too easy. And there were enough dead horses being whipped on air already last night.
Somehow, Tanty Kamla managed to turn a one-person debate into a bizarre battle of wills with herself, as she insisted on more time to give non-answers, asked to return to a previous question—after probably being advised during a break that the correct response to the cultural context of corruption probably does not lie in ‘Vikings’—and gave responses that would insult anyone with even a vague grasp of the issues.
The Reshmi Ramnarine SSA scandal, according to the Prime Minister, was a “flaw we took action on… within a day or two.”
It was a pretty flippant way to describe fraud. And, lest we forget, Ramnarine—last we checked—was employed at the Ministry of Health under the name of “Shashi Rehka.”
If only all suspected criminals were so lucky.
And speaking of criminals, Persad-Bissessar was asked about LifeSport too.
“There were administrative issues…” she replied.
It was an interesting way to summarise a program that spent over $250 million in taxpayers’ money with little to show for it except, if the police are right, a dead Senior Counsel and a badly shaken DJ/deep-sea diver.
But Persad-Bissessar was not asked about Anil Roberts or Rajaee Ali or even Anand Ramlogan. And, even if she was, any journalist knows that a question without a follow-up is virtually meaningless.
But don’t take Mr Live Wire’s word for it.
Ask a three year old boy to describe Pythagorus’ theorem. Maybe he would say: “jello.” Or maybe he would start singing: “Hakuna Matata.”
Either might sound like reasonable responses to the uninformed without the option of cross-examination.
So, when asked about if her Government was failing on crime, the Prime Minister responded: “I want to disagree with you that we are not on top. We could possibly be higher on top. But we are on top…”
Maybe someone squirmed in their chair. So she continued.
“That’s why we don’t have the kind of instability…”
Someone in the studio, who was not under a rock for the past week, might have inadvertently winced.
Persad-Bissessar went further.
“Within a very short space of time, everything had been brought under control…”
Control, apparently, meant the murder of escaped inmate Hassan Atwell by still unknown criminals. Good lord, Kamla was debating herself!
And losing!
But it was an aberration. Usually, she ambled along at her own pace accompanied by panelists who, despite their stern faces, might as well have been egging her on.
“Come on, Kamla! You can do it! Almost there!”
Political analyst Derek Ramsamooj wanted to know whether she considered herself a pragmatic leader.
Persad-Bissessar responded that she was when necessary but gave an example of her humanity to “what’s-his-name” who waged a hunger strike in front of the Office of the Prime Minister.
“It was a very hard decision,” said Persad-Bissessar, as she recalled being trolled by “one individual on a hunger strike”. “Should I take a view of this one person and his band of followers or look at the bigger picture…”
Her best example of humanity, as online commentator Dion Jennings pointed out, involved her not remembering the name of an activist, Wayne Kublalsingh, who almost died on her doorstep.
She was scoring so many own goals that Sport Minister Brent Sancho might have been feeding her information from somewhere.
Isha Wells, whose red beret was as distracting as Job’s oversized suit, was always ready with a cardboard cut-out of a question that seemed fierce enough but, ultimately, lacked depth.
“Do you smoke marijuana?” asked Wells.
“No,” replied the Prime Minister.
Case closed then, eh?
Wells was well stocked with them.
“Is enough being done to address the drug trade by your government?” she asked, at one point.
The obvious answer from any Prime Minister would generally be: “yes… and we know exactly how we can improve in our next term too.”
Or at least, she might have gone with: “I told whoever was bunnin’ it by my house to stop.” Wink wink.
But Tanty Kamla went off another tirade in which she pointed out that Trinidad and Tobago does not manufacture drugs or guns nor do we buy and sell guns…
She was swerving from bleedingly obvious in one moment to obviously wrong the next. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion.
In her next term, if voters want to see what the People’s Partnership can do next, Tanty Kamla promised a Ministry of Defence to “deal with border control.” She did not say whether soldiers or coast guards will be moved from National Security to facilitate that plan. And it would be unwise to assume.
After all, under the People’s Partnership, the Minister of National Security ran basketball tournaments, the Minister of Sport paid criminals and the Minister of Justice drafted bills to set them free.
The Prime Minister was all over the place last night too.
One moment, Persad-Bissessar pointed out, with some merit, that no male prime minister would have faced the criticism she did about her choice of shoes. Yet in the same breath, she said she would happily retire to “cooking and reading.”
There really was no common thread.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Frederic Dubray)
The other major talking points?
Despite calling an election at virtually the last possible moment, the Prime Minister still has no manifesto.
Her legacy was the work she had “done for children” whose missing Children’s Life Fund cash is the subject of an another media-instigated police probe. And, in a dare to land pirates, she promised that all squatters on State land would be regularised after September 7.
Presumably, Opposition Leader Keith Rowley immediately filled a knapsack with biscuits, cheese and water and headed for a month-long camp at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Vi-Queen, at this rate, is in danger of losing her throne.
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Lol. Only you pulled out that one Eric A St Bernard! ???
What ‘other’ participants Mitra Persad?
Lasana, you should try writing calypso- “DJ/deep sea diver” hahaha. Spoiler has nothing on you 🙂
I stopped watching when no one called her out on her Children’s Life Fund. She was making a mess of herself anyway. I switched to Dr Rowley’s speech in San Fernando Tuesday night. Far more scintillating.
National award William …but which govt will be willing to give it….? lol
If she was that bad why did the other participant stay away?
Vernal, if the man’s performance is worth mentioning, then his name is by definition worth remembering, especially if you are the PM. You do yourself no favours by referring to him in that dismissive fashion, particularly when you are trying to sell yourself, as you pointed out somewhere, as the caring three-in-one.
What we witnessed last night was an exit interview!
I suppose Anna Ramdass will contrive to put a positive spin on last night’s performance but even she cannot now make it less than pellucidly clear (as Mr Manning would say) why KPB dared not take on KCR. Even Houdini would have, if this report is to be believed, would have been unable to disentangle the knots into which she would most likely have tied herself under pressure from (a) genuinely independent moderator(s) AND an opponent.
Scotty Ranking, the amazing thing is not that she came second when debating herself but that she tied for second.
I am struck – and consoled – by the number of comments which make clear that people interested in the politics didn’t have the stomach for it. I managed to stay up for Job’s first question although I was already taking extraordinarily deep breaths after Paul Richards’ introduction. It is clear from this excellent coverage that I missed nothing. Thanks, Lasana. Looking forward to getting more ZZZZZZ’s between now and September 7 – and reading Wired to get brought up to speed.
As such as I love to hate you sometimes 🙂 this was a sound analysis! Spot on!
I would have been surprised if the rant had turned out differently. What is disturbing however, is the fact that this whole farce was considered an excellent idea by people who are being paid good money as advisers and campaign managers. It was an exercise in arseness. Is this a representation of the best this country has to offer. I heard blatant lies and the lambs couldn’t follow up with questions. So it was a panel discussion done like a debate but the answers had no time limit and you could prep the PM and she could go back and correct an answer after the break and allyuh better give me a chance with the self inflicted torture i put myself through and run on sentence that can’t seem to end.
Irene!
Pahahahaha!
Did not see the debate. She matched wits with herself. Who won?
One great mention in this is that any professional and serious journalist knows that a question without a follow up is meaningless. Half the criticism should be placed on the moderators, as they have tip-toed on the surface and have not provided any real depth of questioning. They have also allowed her to skip lightly over questions and divert. We should not just want to know the truth, we need to know the truth.
Our Prime Ministers…..One was selectively Deaf! The other Duncee! The next Shallow (if u believe reports on the Harbour)! Another did his best work under Ladders! Whilst, one spoke exclusively in the Third Person, followed swiftly, by one who speaks for three persons in one (I’m a woman, mother & grandmother)! Anybody lil apprehensive bout who is next!?!
Once it’s not this current one!!!
I am in NY and sorry I missed this interview. Excellent article I dying with laughter here
Come on guys you did not know the woman has a split personality so she believes that there were two persons debating herself and Irene?
It really showed last night how she really never had a plan for national security, if you can’t discern that the coast guard is a part of the defence forces and she didn’t even mention the air guard, that whole unit is part of a proposed defence force coupled with customs and immigration and all your intelligence units, but hey we are all laymen so who cares
The Ministry of Defense will fix the problem in less than thirty days and………..
It is better to be called mad than to be caught up in the madness of a sane society. in this case i hope the prime minister MADDER THAN MAD lordy good work Lasana
I tried to watch…I really tried…but whe fadda..
I tink Lasana should get ah award (not sure what tho?) and you guys counselling after watching dat kaka!
It is alright to talk to yourself, and it is alright to answer yourself…it is when you start asking yoursef….”what you just said?”…well that’s a problem.
She said the Police and Defence Force are already under the Ministry of National Security but she is going to establish a separate Ministry of Defence to protect our borders….does she know that the Coast Guard is part of Defence Force? Or is here to be some separate staff? Help?!
The Fishermen will be added to the task force…last line of defense so a Defense Ministry is needed, why are you all not getting this.
“There really was no common thread.”
In her defence(and she is organising an entire Ministry for this) she was better than the Shelly Dass interview. I saw bits of the replay ( who paid for the replay?). I expect very little from KPB but I thought the co interviewers dropped the ball. Then again that was the plan. The only thing that we will hear KPB boasting that she was not afraid to face the ‘tough’ question unlike KCR. Even in a sanitised environment she was woefully inadequate and I am being nice. Just picture KPB with sheets pulled to her neck saying “i see corruption everywhere”.
I looked at it and she never answered the questions posted really, a lot of preamble and speeches like the Monday night platform and the separation of national security into defence and whatever o distinctly heard Gary Griffith explaining his proposal for such a plan
I watch some snippets, couldn’t watch the whole thing. Isha looked irritated at one point and Job (smdh) was PM struck. Never seen anyone smile so damm much
Great read! Very factual.
I missed the “debate” but I think I’m caught up quite nicely now. Thanks Lasana!
With all due respect Lasana, I couldn’t read after…. “There were administrative issues…” Thank God I didn’t watch this , I would have lost a good tv …jeez
I so love the picture, tells the story without makeup
Up to now I haven’t heard an answer to the questions asked only PR what she will do when she gets back in power I heard training and education for almost all questions,procurement. The best when asked if it had corru0tion in her government she replied no none at all but it was through the governance. Well I will be damned who governs not a government. Who is governing not her government? This lady ent easy……
Farse and outa place to make reference to the Vikings ..in that context….
Wonderful article
You have real belly…I couldnt watch/listen
I couldn’t read pass “wink wink”!!!!!
You have enough material for the entire weekend. I didn’t get to see it but it sounds like she had a mirror in front of her and she was fighting herself for the entire “debate”.
Good article Lasana. The Vi Queen! ! Lol. I didn’t have the testicular fortitude to continue watching it
LL I owe you a beer for actually sitting through that spectacle. And, from what I’ve read, she still screwed up!
This is just too much material Mr. Live. Forget the “bizarre battle of wills within herself” Athelstan would’ve read this and easily resolved the conflict within himself a few seasons ago. Would have probably killed himself laughing too. What baffles me is that red party fight down the yellow over a brain coral off Toco few years aback.
It now has its plan to make a highway and harbour there itself. The yellow party still does not have a manifesto and accuses the red party of having no plan. The yellow party wants to build a suspension bridge to Tobago instead. Is that brain coral really dead or are these politicians? Maybe it is a race to destroy something else with a brain other than those of the poor electorate.
ent!!
Himself to himself…hsh!
This woman … really in a battle of wills against herself and still managed to come out second! Amazing!
I was waiting for this will read b4 i head to bed
Thanks Makeda. 🙂
So some twat gave a thumbs down for a thank you response? Pahahaha. Aye I cya lie we have some good duncy people in Bananistan ino (ah bite that boy Vernal Cadogan..that name could not be anymore perfect to describe this place.) But to the PM now…all kicks aside if she doesn’t smoke weed well it’s best she starts asap because at least she would have been able to blame some of those contradictory and ridiculous answers on something…anything! What I saw yesterday was nothing short of disastrous. That lady would manage fourth in a three person race yes!! Imagine you getting easy questions( with no follow up questions), you’re possibly prepped, and you still can’t ace your answers? Oh gosh boy!! To vote that lady back for a second term is basically saying that you are quite happy with unintelligence and cluelessness from the nations’s leader( remember this person speaks on our behalf when she leaves these shores eh) Haven’t read the Express yet..but I expect a pro PM story from Anna Ramdass. It’s way too obvious now! If only guessing the lotto numbers were as easy….sigh!
The ViQueen is in danger of losing her throne ?
“After all, under the People’s Partnership, the Minister of National Security ran basketball tournaments, the Minister of Sport paid criminals and the Minister of Justice drafted bills to set them free”
Smh
Great piece Lasana. Shameful occurrence though but great article
Hahaha… Ok. I will soon. 😉
Lasana Liburd go and sleep.
It was always going to be a farce, but she looked or should I say embarassed herself when Dr. Ramsamooj had to ask her 3 times about being “pragmatic” I do agree that Isha Well’s questions lacked depth, they didn’t even phase the PM at all, the best moderator was undoubtedly Dr. Ramsamooj, he was the only one who kept the PM on her toes, but yes this was a indeed well written as per usual (Y)