After reading about nominations for the Office of President in local media, I am forced to ask, “Is the nomination for, and by extension, the Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago being hijacked by political expediency?”
The Prime Minster Dr Keith Rowley supports the nomination of Ms Christine Kangaloo for President. His grounds are her experience a) as acting President before, and b) Senate President. Dr Rowley seems to have ignored all that is unseemly improper with such a nomination – and to which he cannot plead ignorance. I shall not be occupying my time setting it all out here when it is already in the public domain. Readers have the choice to be well-informed, or not.
Mr Israel Khan SC has accepted nomination for President.
The following are some well-known characteristics of Mr Khan:
1. He has an enviable record of sound performance.
2. He has contributed as an Independent Senator in his service to the country.
3. Nobody owns Mr Khan’s tongue. He is not scripted, somewhat unfiltered.
4. He has a way with words – straight talking that cut to the heart of matters – causing most citizens to agree with him – only because what he says is so plain spoken and non-evasive.
5. Owning his own tongue and being the boss of his own person, he has spoken out frankly, without filter and for the common man against perceived misdeeds by both political parties.
6. He has spoken out on major scandals without fear or favour, as a lone voice in the legal and public domain. For example, he was the lone senior member of the legal fraternity, bold and with iron fortitude against the Chief Justice Archie debacle. He hung a banner from his Chambers that "All is not well on Knox Street” with options for the Chief Justice, “1) Resign now, 2) Answer S137 Tribunal, 3) Face criminal charge of misbehaviour (15 years jail)”.
7. On the Vincent Nelson SC constitutional, civil and criminal imbroglio - he called out the ex-AG's advisers on the indemnity agreement with convicted King’s Counsel Vincent Nelson to publicly come clean on their roles in the drafting of the controversial settlement.
8. He has demonstrated that he is a fierce and tireless fighter for what is right for the grassroots public, both in an out of court.
Basically, Mr Israel Khan will kowtow to no one. He will put ‘boof’ where warranted – within a Constitutional remit of course. You will get it plain just so - ‘not sugar coated’! Mr Khan epitomises what the country needs at this time to get the elected on both sides of the political divide to do their jobs properly. He will pull this Nation back from the brink of collapse.
His appeal as a President is that he would bring the lived experience of ‘the man-on-the-street struggles’ to that office.
The PNM has an opportunity to demonstrate that tribal politics will not be allowed to hijack who gets selected for Presidency and to put the greater good of the Nation at centre stage.
The Prime Minister should take lead and without hesitation change his mind by dropping Ms Kangaloo and supporting Mr Israel Khan’s nomination. I urge Dr Rowley to do the right thing. Rise above your party and leave a legacy that aids the country.
