Open Letter to Talk Show Hosts

Details

Letter to Editor

Tuesday, 29 May 2012 02:30

By George Rick James

Dear Radio Talk Show Hosts. Stop trying to mislead the people with your idle chatter about the possibility of certain named ruling party politicians breaking rank to join forces with the opposition to vote in favour of the proposed motion of no confidence in the prime minister.

The scenario favoured by the talk show hosts is one where the chief servant would have to resign and hand the country over to the leader of the opposition after losing the vote of no confidence.

In support of their argument, these wanna-be shapers of public opinion have quoted section 69 of the constitution. Apart from the fact that this is not the appropriate provision, they also appear oblivious to the fact that if the prime minister were to throw in the towel, all the other members of the government would have to follow suit and resign as well. It matters not whether they had called in sick, abstained, or voted by secret ballot or an open show of hands. The entire cabinet would suffer the same fate as the fallen party leader.

Go to the back of the class all you unlearned talk show hosts! But take it easy. Before you go, please check out section 73 of the constitution where it says:

“where the house passes a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all members of the house declaring that it has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister does not within seven days of the passing of that resolution either resign from his office or advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, the Governor-General shall revoke the appointment of Prime Minister."

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Maybe the talk show hosts are referring to another Baldwin Spencer, and not the one I know who is the present prime minister. The fellow of their acquaintance would resign, but my guy, whom I have studied like a book, will immediately carry the country to a general election.
 
A vote of no confidence may be treated by the popular talk show hosts as a lighthearted joke, but to the sensible students of politics, it is no laughing matter. Such an important measure was designed to help preserve a healthy democracy by making sure a runaway government is kept in check.

As things stand now, the proposed move has not been well thought out. The optics are dead wrong - all the angles have not been covered.

Maybe those talk show hosts who delight in vapid speculation can tell us if the opposition would go back to the polls before the High Court determines the case were the supervisor of election has been stripped of some of her powers under the recent amendments to election law.

Are we to take it then that the allegation that the ruling party wants to rig the next election has no merit?

It is one thing for politicians masquerading as talk show hosts to string the people along heedlessly, but a professional radio personality and co-talk show hosts should stick to the known facts and not be tempted to joining their “let's fool the people game”. Remember the entire world has ears.

George Rick James
Secretary
Free and Fair Election League Inc

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