Vernon Daley

Bruce Golding has attempted to put the ball through the nation's legs but I'm afraid he has only succeeded in scoring a political own-goal.

Last week, the Prime Minister sought to defend his decision to appoint an 18-member Cabinet after some persons raised concerns about the size of the executive. In responding to the issue, this is what Golding said during the ceremony to swear in the ministers: "If you look at Guyana, which has a much smaller population than we do, Guyana has 23 members of its Cabinet. In the case of Trinidad, (there are) 24 members in the Cabinet and it would have been good, it would have been politically correct to try to look at the number that would satisfy the concerns of big government. An 18-member Cabinet does not necessarily signify big govern-ment."

That, perhaps, would have been a good response if the criticisms were about size and nothing more. However, the core of the issue is not size per se but the commitment of the Prime Minister to follow through on his word.

Just before he was sworn in as Prime Minister, Golding left the very clear impression that he would not be venturing the way of a big Cabinet but would instead focus on putting a lean team together to steer Government. In fact, he was quoted in a Sunday Gleaner story on September 9 as saying:

Areas of focus

"The Cabinet has to be moderate in size. One thing you will appreciate is that the Constitution prescribes a minimum. The Constitution says that the Cabinet shall consist of the Prime Minister and not less than 11 ministers.

"There are particular areas of focus and emphasis that Jamaica has to countenance. The present Cabinet is 14. We intend to be disciplined. It's part of what will be consuming my attention over the weekend".

If Golding considers an 18-member Cabinet moderate in size, then I can't begin to contemplate his idea of an extravagant Cabinet. In comparing Cabinets here over the years, this one ranks among the more bloated of the lot.

The Prime Minister cannot escape the criticism that he has said one thing and done quite the opposite. This is not a good sign.

What we have to applaud is not what people say but what they do. Since election night, Golding has said all the right things. His victory speech was excellent, his inauguration speech was brilliant, and all the rest of his public pronouncements have been just what the doctor ordered for a nation fractured by political discord. However, it is in his first real action that he has fallen down.

The Trinidad election

So soon as one election is over, another one is on the horizon. The people of Trinidad and Tobago are set to go to the polls in weeks, possibly by the end of next month. Last week, President George Maxwell Richards issued an election writ to the Elections and Boundaries Commission declaring September 18-27 as the period for electoral registration.

As I wrote in this column earlier this year, the split in the traditional Indian vote between the two opposition parties will clear a path for the Patrick Manning-led People's National Movement to hold onto state power. I see no reason to change that prediction.

The Opposition United National Congress went into destruction mode after the last election and has since struggled to regain its footing following bitter leadership squabbles. The mess led to political leader Winston Dookeran walking away to form his own party - the Congress of the People.

Surely, these two parties must see they are staring down the dark barrel of electoral defeat. Is it too late for a political rapprochement?