It will not be the first time that a Motion of No Confidence will be tabled in the Montserrat parliament, but for firsts and for the history books, it will be the first in the new titled Legislature, now called the Legislative Assembly.
Some speakers have never had the privilege of refereeing the type of debate procedures which this instance will afford the legislators. Sir Howard Fergus had the privilege on at least two or more occasions, having at one time made history of sorts when he pointed out to the governing side who were so accustomed to saying ‘aye’, that to say aye to the motion was agreeing to the motion to oust them. Maybe it wasn’t a mistake after all, and maybe the mistake was to have noted. However, in those seats, fairness and certainty will always be the winner.
Next week Premier Meade will face a Motion of No Confidence against his leadership. One that is different in the sense that the Motion is not necessarily designed to change the Government. The opposition will have no regrets or hesitation to make accommodations should enough members or any members of the Government side will concur with their arguments. What is somehow strange about this is the silence from government and people as they anxiously wait. That tells a story.
Sometimes, governments can change in other circumstances that deny them the majority of seats in the Legislature; like one or more members abandoning the government side and ‘crossing the floor’. What is very interesting and noteworthy since it does highlight a serious problem surrounding the Premier, time and time again accused of ‘one manism’, a phrase that his 2009 Manifesto noted as a bad thing to be avoided should he form the government. That is what he is being accused of in this Motion of No Confidence, but interestingly back in 1994 when he was Chief Minister one of his Ministers in David Brandt left his government, nearly toppling the government, accusing him of ‘one manism’ and over issues quite similar to those being highlighted in this motion. That time Noel ‘Dada’’ Tuitt, now deceased, rescued his government. By time the next election came around he was left with only himself and his faithful Hon Charles Kirnon.
Brandt had accused him among several other things: “You have taken action on very serious matters without consulting with your colleagues– sometimes even failing to inform us of what you had done until we heard about it on the street.”
“In your address, you admit that you were not appropriately advised on the full impact of the CET and that you may have been “inadequately briefed.”
“You misrepresented the discussions that you were having with CDB and I heard on Radio Montserrat…You subsequently had to cancel the loan.”
During the debate, similar accusations will be aired, but the curse of our politics will not permit any outcome other than that of self preservation, and never the people’s interest of the country in general.
A former Minister, described as anonymous, has given an explanation that should meet almost all the questions anyone might wish to have answered about No Confidence motions. It is published within the newspaper.
Among other lessons that might come out of the debate, ethics and morality will be challenged. The public will likely hear matters raised that they ordinarily would probably not hear during regular parliamentary debates because of the restrictions via ‘standing orders’ and the like.
The issues cited in the motion to be debated cannot avoid bring these into the ring. The secrecy over bringing an industry to the island which should be cleared and carefully considered since Montserrat must honour World Health Organisation (WHO) Conventions. It is that organization that warn: “Tobacco has long surpassed AIDS as the world’s leading agent of death. ”Why should Montserrat say yes secretly or otherwise to manufacturing such commodity? And the question here is how the Premier managed to convince his cabinet against the advice of technicians that this is a good idea. It cannot go unnoticed by the British government who had in 1998-99 refused building an airport at Thatch Valley because of the rat bats and the environment. What was the convention they were protecting then?
