Daniel Thwaites | Wakanda accountability is that?

It pains me to say it, but there cannot be a more eloquent testimonial to the PM's low estimation of so many of his Cabinet colleagues than that he has kept so much of the Government at OPM. The energy ministry will join works, housing, water, environment, ports, development, monitoring action-man Daryl, UDC, NHT, DBJ, NWC, NEPA, retiring Mike Henry, town planning, land, CDF, HEART, climate change, and defence, all directly under the PM's watchful gaze.

Remember Mr Holness made some grand promises and commitments during his inauguration. At that time, it came in the context of a halo that, for various reasons, wasn't quite pristine. Nevertheless he had the benefit of a new administration's fresh beginnings and the natural surge of people's hopes. Also, being a relatively young guy and one capable of some pretty lofty rhetoric, it was easy to give him the benefit of any doubt. I did. But now he has surrendered all that. And on what altar?

There was The Great Bushing Scandal, which I, like so many others, didn't even understand that the PM had addressed. As I said last week, his action was deliberate inaction, and his choice was to DO NOTHING, despite a damning contractor general report. Now we have the Petroscam cluster of issues and all the excitement surrounding Wakanda Wheatley. And that's how the PM's run as icon of accountability has come to an unfortunate end. Because, Wakanda accountability is that?

I say unfortunate because it means that Jamaica has to wait again for someone who will deal with these issues decisively. Meanwhile, more and more people are following these issues like Mr Vegas with a cell phone camera at Braemar Estate: "Yow! Unnu a run de place like a tenement yard, B!"

Speaking of which, based on that same inauguration speech, you would have thought that the Greater Andrew would deal with the Lesser Andrew like KingAlarm woulda deal wid a bwoy case.

 

'Half-a-firing'

 

Instead, Wakanda Wheatley was given half-a-firing, or half-a-resignation, depending on how you interpret the deliberately vague press release.

And that, I think, is one key to understanding this situation, and one that might actually heighten your appreciation of the PM's dilemma. Look at the studiously ambiguous language in the Cabinet press release announcing Wakanda Wheatley's ever-so-slight demotion. Or was it a promotion? Same seat in Cabinet, same pay, same perks, less responsibility.

Anyway, it is worded very carefully so that nobody can discover whether Wakanda Wheatley voluntarily resigned his post, or was relieved of it by the PM. Somehow the balance of power necessitated complete vagueness on that rather interesting point.

It's not like we all don't understand. Very often we find ourselves in an ugly situation and you have to try to make the best of it. Look at how I was in the pharmacy about to buy my Gleaner with the headline 'Wheatley stripped of energy - PM takes charge of portfolio', when I noticed right beside it THE STAR bearing the headline 'Women want pretty privates - Bizarre summer trend could reach Jamaica'. The second story is an investigative piece studying new plastic surgery, rejuvenation techniques, and various other rescue operations collectively called 'vajazzling' that are coming to Jamaica to address some of our issues.

 

New Revelations of Slackness

 

It struck me that these two situations aren't all that different. These are situations where it done gawn bad arredy, but now there's a last-ditch attempt to fix it up. I don't think it works. I don't think Wakanda Wheatley can be vajazzled so easily, especially when new revelations of slackness keep appearing.

Anyway, this half-firing/ half-resignation manoeuvre is something I would like to see the press follow up so that the public can understand the reasoning behind it. And hopefully that will be possible now that Cruel Reid has promised post-Cabinet briefings will resume. He announced the resumption almost immediately after declaring post-Cabinet briefings anachronistic and outdated. Journalists will undoubtedly still attend, but there will be that unforgettable stain on every Cabinet brief from here on. Shame!

In all seriousness, though, there's something more ominous and disturbing that requires comment. A frightful legerdemain seems to have effectively shelved the old contractor general by swallowing up its functions into the so-far-unimpressive Integrity Commission. I can only surmise that this was deliberate. For like it or not - and there was room to question some of the judgments - the Office of the Contractor General had grown into a healthy thorn in the side of slipshod governance.

And there's even another larger point, often made, but which bears repeating. There is a systemic weakness in our governance arrangements when so much of the executive has to be drawn from Parliament. That limits the talent pool to those who fill those seats. What is more, the criteria that establish readiness for the representative function don't really align with readiness for the executive function, and, in fact, often the two are opposed.

So, surprising though it may be, I spare some sympathy for the PM. He is, by some reports, protecting a loyalist, and by other reports, having to pay due respect to Wakanda Wheatley's own power. Either way, the country is compromised.

For is there any doubt that were it not for some such specifically political explanation, Wheatley would have been sent packing? I think not. If it wasn't for the politics, the PM could drop the axe, there would be no vajazzling, and we could video Mr Vegas reading the newspaper saying, "Yuh kill de man, my yute," while Wakanda Wheatley staggered off nursing his wounds.

- Daniel Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.