But
as he is wont to do, Manning went and misspeak.
Or did he?
Some claim that Manning, despite winning two general elections and
becoming prime minister twice, doesn’t have the “upstairs”
to outwit Panday and the Opposition.
So that having opened his mouth, not once, not only twice, he has
found himself between a rock and a hard place concerning whether
or not he should call a general election anytime soon.
The question on many People’s National Movement (PNM) people
lips is: Will he, won’t he?
Some are scared stiff, I tell you.
And for good reasons!
They remember a time not so long ago when Manning “took basket”
and called a “snap” election and got caught with his
pants down.
He is probably one of only a few leaders to “get ketch”
by calling a snap election.
Normally, if you call a snap election, it means that you are damn
ready, the opposition isn’t, and you will win hands down.
Well, on that occasion in 1995, Manning thought he was ready, the
party was unprepared and the Opposition ate him almost raw: remember
the famous 17-17 tie, and ANR Robinson and Pamela Nicholson’s
alliance with the UNC to make Panday Prime Minister and Robinson
President?
Of course, the Opposition benefitted from the treacherous behaviour
of a main PNM man at the time.
But why should the UNC care how they got there; after all, since
1995 and prior, politics has always had a morality of its own.
Not so, Bas?
So, with the memory of that licks still fresh in their minds, everytime
Manning talks anything about an early election, PNM people “does”
ask: He mad?
At the PNM’s 40th annual convention last Sunday, Manning again
made his oft repeated election mantra: “There is a battle
coming … we are turning the bend towards another great day
in the life of our party and country.
“God alone knows the time and the hour.
“But when I ring the bell we shall flatten our foe with a
PNM political hurricane, the likes of which they have never seen.
“This is one fight from which even Winston can’t duck
and run, I give them warning.
“They can say I didn’t tell them so.
“So they better move fast and put their patchwork party together
...”
Lyrics to make a Calypsonian cringe, if you ask me.
But that is election talk without a doubt, and many of the PNM thousands
present at the convention looked at each other, some silently, some
not so quietly asking in that confusing and disappointing manner:
“He going down that road again?”
But having started it, maybe Manning doesn’t know how to stop
the election talk.
Or, is that really true?
Panday, Dookeran, Warner et al naturally responded, since Manning
also took other serious jabs at them and the party as a whole, at
the convention.
Manning again: “… If they can take care of Jack the
Ripper, he of two faces and two knives, who I see has sheathed one
of his jack knives temporarily.
“But the man in white is still there ghostlike, stalking the
Parliament backbench, driving the leader -- I mean the chairman
-- mad.
“Ming hasn’t given up yet.
“In the meantime with the others, is a free for all, almost
like a drunken brawl.
“Nanan cuff Dookeran saying he can’t come Tabaquite
without paradighim permission.
“Panday tap up Monilal saying he still wet behind the ears;
Manohar just vex with everybody, nobody take on Robin …”
He spoke about allegations of UNC corruption and added: “I
warn them fellas before and I do so again.
“Jail not nice.
“They know what coming.
“They are rushing now to unite.
“But that unity is the bubble what Winston should see.
“It will burst in his face.
“As an elder statesman once said, with that party, it is hugs
by day and stabs by night.
“Cutthroat politics, ladies and gentlemen, the likes of which
we have never seen.”
But the UNC and its spokesmen responded in kind
Hear Panday, who some describe as the master lyricist among Caribbean
politicians.
Daring the PM to “call election now,” he snarled: “Manning
would get the shock of his life when he sees the massive turnout
of the army of the UNC.”
Bravado?
Waxing diplomatically warm or, if you prefer, playing smart with
foolishness, he added: “What was happening in the party was
merely an expression of different views.”
Warner warned crisply: “Let him call the election …”
The football jefe added: “… When I look at the PNM convention
and see that the acting chairman of the party is 75 or 85 or 95-year-old
John Donaldson, and when I see the youth officer male is the 65-year-old
Anthony Roberts, I begin to wonder because the UNC has a 26-year-old
youth officer.
“So I have no problem.
“They in the PNM will all die together.”
Listen: Manning has his work cut out.
After all his lyrics, if he calls an election, the UNC will boast
and taunt him and tell him he took basket.
And he will have to deal with those taunts until the election results
... and a PNM victory.
If he loses?
Some of his own PNMites will believe the UNC propaganda.
Why didn’t he wait until certain other projects are completed:
more houses, the start of the overpass etc.
In addition, he may play man, but psychologically, the untimely
1995 election call … and defeat will remain in Manning’s
psyche forever, and say what he wants, it will always haunt him.
Ask anybody who has been rejected once and how difficult it is,
especially on the very next occasion.
And if he doesn’t call an election, he will be called a fooler,
petty, joker.
UNC will also taunt him and say he was just blowing hot air.
“We always know he was not a man and he was just bluffing,”
Panday will say.
But there is more.
Since election is war, according to Panday, if you are in power
and the Opposition is at its weakest, why not go for the jugular
now rather than wait until they regroup.
That is good strategy in any language.
Maybe, the UNC will never be as weak again as it is now.
The optimists among them will argue that after this all-time low,
they can only get stronger.
But can the UNC bacchanal be settled, once Panday remains as healthy
as a lion?
If Manning waits out his terms and calls the election when it is
constitutionally due, and UNC re-groups under whichever leader,
the so-called political commentators will also eat him raw.
Already infamous for his poor timing, they will slam him for not
seizing the opportunity and calling the election when UNC’s
chips were down.
Dr. Ralph Gonzales did it in St. Vincent last week and won himself
five more years.
But Manning is no Gonsalves and whatever he does, the commentators
will have a field day, the opportunists we are.
To reiterate, whichever decision he makes, UNC will turn it around,
as they are doing with the Police Reform Bills.
In other words, Manning can’t win, the verbal war that is.
His salvation lies in ensuring that whenever he calls the election,
he must make sure that he wins.
In other words, he must first make sure his party and government
are ready before he calls the next general election; he must make
sure he doesn’t get caught with his pants down again …
even though it is his call.
But really, suppose Manning is as serious as a heart attack, knowing
that if he really calls an election and wins, well then he is the
winner, and if he loses, he knows the results will not affect his
position as PM.
In other words, is Manning laughing at them?
What am I talking about?
(See below) |
