By G.A. Dwyer Astaphan
From our first term in office (1995-2000), I started noticing disturbing signs in the attitude and conduct of our leader.
And I expressed my concerns to Fitzroy Bryant, Lee Moore and St. John Payne, all since deceased, and two other persons, both still alive, one being Sam Condor, who was my closest friend in Government.
But while always lending what seemed to be an attentive ear, Sam would simply say: “Timing is everything.” I got the impression that he thought me hasty in my observations of Denzil.
However, as time passed, I persevered and he seemed to become increasingly sympathetic. Yet, he would repeat his refrain: “Timing is everything.” And he would add: “It isn’t everything that you must be willing to die on the hill for.”
Meanwhile, Denzil continued along his merry way, bolstered by his perception that one or two, or even three, questioning and less-than-happy voices would ultimately achieve little more than their own marginalization in a numbers game which was weighted heavily in his favour, because of the colony of ‘Denzilian’ sycophants, opportunists and apologists he had established.
And with every passing day and opportunity after opportunity to rein him in squandered, and with every repetition of the mantra that “timing is everything, but now is not the time for that, and not the time to die on the hill”, Denzil grew stronger and more ogreish.
So for fifteen years, Sam never thought that the time was right. He never saw an issue that would justify his “dying on the hill”. That is, until very recently, judging from two letters from him to Denzil dated November 25th and 26th, 2010, respectively.
The key issue raised in those two letters was not about the persons named therein. Denzil had wanted to give a young lady a job in Sam’s Ministry without Sam’s approval, and he had wanted to bring back a senior National Security officer from leave prematurely, also without Sam’s approval.
These matters had been discussed, but it seems that Denzil was intent on having his way despite Sam’s feelings. So Sam wrote to him, pointing to his dictatorial, interfering, manipulative, undermining and disrespectful way of dealing with Sam and other ministers, and their respective ministries. And Sam told Denzil that he was now willing “to die on the hill” for these things.
How refreshing!
So the whole country is now waiting with bated breath to see how this drama will play out.
If Denzil defies Sam and calls his bluff, will Sam back down?
Will he resign from Government, but still remain in Parliament? If so, will he become a backbencher, or will he, a Labour man to the bone, cross the floor? Will he resign from Parliament altogether?
If he does resign from Parliament, will he push for his protégé to follow him, or will he yield to Denzil who is pushing someone else?
Alternatively, and instead of yielding, will he try to gather up five Parliamentary Representatives, including himself, go to the Governor-General to tell him that someone other than Denzil now commands the support of the majority of the Representatives, and request that the Governor-General appoint that person as the new Prime Minister?
Let us look at the other scenario: suppose Denzil backs down on the two matters.
Will Sam claim a quiet victory and satisfy himself that Denzil has learnt his lesson? Will he be convinced that that is the end of it, and that Denzil will thereafter conduct himself in a more acceptable manner? Will he rationalize that in the interests of the Labour Party and the stability of the Labour Government and the nation, the best approach is now to throw water on the whole thing and move on?
Will he presume that Denzil, who has no appetite for defeat in anything, will not look to get back at him in one way or another, and embarrass him yet again?
Any way you look at it, this is a defining moment. A historic moment. And I know that Sam is a man who is very concerned about his legacy.
So it is critically important for him to understand that by not trying to capitalize on this moment to send Denzil home, he would be condemning himself to an unflattering legacy and to a scorned place in history.
And once he opts to ascend that proverbial hill in the people’s name, it will not be to die, but instead to save this nation from Denzil, and, in the process, to be himself elevated to the pantheon in the company of Manchester, Sebastian, Nathan, Solomon, Challenger, Seaton, Halbert, France, Bradshaw, Southwell and the rest.
And just in case he needs to be reminded of some very real reasons for him to act righteously in the people’s cause, here are some.
By his own irresponsibility, ineptness and profligacy, Denzil has plunged the economy into this hell-hole of debt, and only crazy people would allow him anywhere near the effort to get us out of it. That would be like asking a paedophile to baby-sit our little daughter.
Denzil refuses to account to the Labour Party about Lex Consulting (it is said that he was willing to throw even a close relative under the bus for that one), and he has influenced followers to defend and justify his failure to account to them! Utterly manipulative, disrespectful, incredible and outrageous! Sam needs to restore transparency and decency to the Party. And he can.
Halva Hendrickson was sacrificed and sacked before the 2004 elections because of electricity problems. At that time, Denzil stood on a platform in St. Peters and told the country that he was taking over responsibility for electricity, and that he would ensure that the problem was fixed. That was seven years ago. Yet today, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent, the problems are just as bad. He failed.
Any service provider who is so poor on performance and credibility has to be dismissed. (And this is a wake-up call for Asim too. He has to take a stand or pay the consequences, now and in history). Then on top of that, not to mention the VAT, the 33% increase in Traders’ Tax, the massive layoffs, the VAT-induced inflation, and so on, Denzil is increasing electricity rates from 30% to 85%.
He fails us, then he punishes us! Only in hell does that happen! What an outrage! It is Denzil who needs to be punished, not us, and Sam has the chance now (and it is now or never) to be on that proverbial hill for us and with us, and to send Denzil home; failing which he will surely be joined with Denzil as a co-perpetrator.
And the same applies to Tim, Marcella and Ghost.
Our roads, cemeteries, government facilities are in terrible shape because, as Denzil himself admitted recently in public, he does not have the resources to advance the cause of the people the way he would like to. He cannot finish the Dieppe Bay Police Station, he cannot start the Tabernacle Police Station, and other National Security, and other facilities, and he has compromised Government’s ability to develop, maintain and sustain projects and programs so as to stabilize and grow a modern, efficient society. Is it any wonder crime fighting and crime control are so difficult for us? No!
How could we have the resources after he squandered them? Denzil has failed us here too. And Sam needs to understand that this confession by Denzil is a clear sign that somebody else needs to take over now. As do Tim, Asim, Marcella and Ghost.
Things are so bad that it is said that our nation’s children are being fed chicken backs and necks by the School Meals Program and that one hot-dog sausage is being shared for three children. Indeed, when this was raised to one of Denzil’s apologists, she allegedly said: “Well, back and neck better dan nuttin!”
Of course, she would never feed backs and necks to her children or have one hot dog sausage shared among three of them. But it is okay for the thousands of other children!
And while the children are given backs and necks and one sausage for three, Denzil continues his imperiousness and his spendorama. I hear he is even looking to get a new car to be chauffeured around in.
And how much money is he spending on the Carnival Venue while the kids eat back and necks, and while power outages continue to bedevil us?
Less than 60% of our children graduate high school while basic social and technical skills are woefully deficient, all of which is further bankrupting us socially and economically. Denzil wants dependants, not thinkers, to populate this land. Another reason he has to go.
Small shop operators at RLB Airport, who are renting 100 square feet of space, are now paying about $1,700.00 a month in rent plus VAT. But they are only making $30 and $50 a day; worse so now that a new arrangement has been introduced for departing passengers, which essentially blocks these shops from getting sustainable flows of business. At the same time, the shops inside the Departure Lounge are doing better. Ask questions. You will get answers.
Meanwhile, as people are being sent home, the so-called “freeze” in employment and increments in the public sector is being made a mockery of. Ask Denzil’s Press and Public Relations Office to give you the names of the 55-year olds who have been retained, of the persons whom have been hired and of those who have received increments since the “freeze” was announced.
Lending SIDF money to foreigners is a crime against the people of this nation, as are all of those sweetheart, exclusive deals and no-bid contracts that have been awarded to friends, and the creation of virtually separate principalities in our country.
Integrity in Public Life legislation must be passed without delay. Denzil does not have an appetite for it. Nor do the members of ‘T-BOB’s Mob’. Sam has to take a stand.
Respect for Government, for law and order, for each other, and for the values which formed the foundation of our civilization need to be restored. Denzil cannot lead that process.
There is more. But what is here is more than sufficient to help Sam take a stand and to ascend that proverbial hill, not to die on it, but to help save this nation from Denzil, and in the process to save his own legacy.
If he and the other Labour Representatives fail to take a stand, then they will all face scorn and condemnation, now and in history. They will all be kicked out of office in quick and sharp fashion.
Because, timing is everything! The hill is there, but the people are in a hurry.
To the hill Sam…for the people. Same to you Tim, Asim, Marcella and Ghost.
