Editorial | PM Godwin Friday’s error

Godwin Friday’s government in St Vincent and the Grenadines is off to an unfortunate start. It has stumbled badly on its first significant ethical test.

Dr Friday is allowing Kishore Shallow, the president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), to remain in his Cabinet, with responsibility for tourism and maritime affairs.

It is assumed, therefore, that Prime Minister Friday, like Dr Shallow, does not see the potential for a conflict of interest in Dr Shallow doing both jobs. That, if it is not cynical, would be a monumental failure of imagination on the part of both men.

In this matter, however, the greater responsibility rests with Dr Friday. As head of government, a prime minister must not only command the trust and respect of the people he leads, but is expected to have good judgement and operate on sound principles, even when the issues upon which he rules seem ordinary and prosaic. Which the Shallow affair is not.

Dr Shallow, then, should have been given a clear choice: serve in the government solely, or, if he wishes, remain as president of Cricket West Indies. Not both.

There are important contexts to this issue.

Cricket West Indies is the body that administers the game of cricket in the Caribbean. Except that in the West Indies cricket is not merely sport. It is a critical force that has tracked the Caribbean’s social and political trajectory, as well as a resilient, even if at times frustrating, metaphor for the regional integration project.

It is the only sport for which there is a singular West Indian team, as well as the only one for which the region, in common, has commanded global leadership and recognition. Even when West Indians, out of frustration with the regional team’s subpar performances, feign indifference to its failures, they often, in fact, bear a deep emotional burden.

Indeed, it says that cricket is the only sport for which the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the economic and functional cooperation association of regional states, maintains a standing committee of prime ministers. So, the state of cricket, and the quality of its governance, or inadequacy thereof, are often on the agenda of meetings of CARICOM’s heads of government.

Analyses of the management of West Indies cricket commissioned by CARICOM’s heads of government have more than once proposed major overhaul of its governance structures, including calls on Cricket West Indies to disband itself and for its owners, the territorial cricket associations, to share their control with wider groups of regional stakeholders.

This makes the Kishore Shallow matter more stark and his situation clearly untenable.

Following his swearing-in as a minister last week, Dr Shallow said a decision on whether he completed his current three-year term (he has so far served 10 months) would depend on his workload; whether he could manage the two things at the same time. He perceived no conflict of interest, or potential for it.

SHALLOW’S APPROACH DISTURBING

In Westminster-style governments, as is practised in St Vincent, Cabinets are the principle source of policy and prime ministers are first among equals. Policy issues, in other words, are expected to be analysed and debated by the Cabinet before implementation.

In these circumstances, questions regarding the governance of West Indies Cricket and/or affecting the attitude and behaviour of CWI could come before Dr Friday and his Cabinet. Or, it might be how cricket interfaces with Dr Shallow’s portfolio for tourism. Additionally, Prime Minister Friday could be drafted to membership of the CARICOM cricket committee, as was his predecessor, Ralph Gonsalves.

In those St Vincent Cabinet meetings where West Indies cricket is on the agenda, whose interests will Kishore Shallow pursue? Or, to paraphrase a former Jamaican political leader in highlighting the dilemma of a prime minister who attempted to distance herself from actions of her party: which skin will Dr Shallow wear in those situations?

Two other factors in Dr Shallow’s approach are particularly disturbing.

One is the allusion to other jurisdictions where political leaders have been part of, or leaders of their cricket administrative bodies. Why would the West Indies want to be lumped with the governance structures of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe? This region has different, and greater, aspirations.

Second, Dr Shallow has painted his determination to continue as president of CWI as a noble mission. His “steady leadership” is required to pursue reform.

In that posture, he apparently presumes himself to be unique and exceptional, which has not been borne out in anything CWI has done during his presidency.

With respect to Prime Minister Friday, the expectations on him are high, given the circumstances of the victory of his New Democratic Party. It defeated a party that was in office for 24 years – an entire generation.

Among Dr Friday’s arguments in the election campaign was that in their long incumbency, his opponents had lost their way, forgetting fundamental principles and critical values. He should not start his tenure with that mistake.

Further, Dr Shallow’s fellow board members at CWI ought also to be led by principles.