Editorial – October 31, 2014 :
With a fed-up electorate now expecting much and looking for action and answers, not recognising that the task ahead is a fairly daunting one, how prepared the PDM legislators are for the job on hand will be tested over time, but already there are questions as to how well decisions are in keeping with the mandate they received about ‘putting people first’. Actually, from the scarce but suspicious information available so far, we should ascertain what they understand by this! Campaigning was one thing, done. Administering is another huge especially if specifically unprepared.
The People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) celebrated with pomp into the seat of Government following a political campaign that was brief, and in an almost, “here take it” winning style, unlike any other political party before it. They were elected winning seven of the available nine seats at General Elections on September 11, 2014, beating the MCAP party who managed the remaining two seats to form the Opposition in the Assembly.
The PDM party leader now the Hon. Premier Donaldson Romeo after a fleeting exactly seven weeks today, may still be convinced that this was almost a miracle since at the beginning of 2014 and deep into the year, he nor many others even had a party or a name, and probably no idea that the morning of September 12 he would be acknowledging victory and becoming the Premier of Montserrat.
So here they are with the exception of himself (2009-13), Claude Hogan who served in the John Osborne 2001-2006 as a back-bencher, now Minister of Agriculture, and David Osborne who served with the MCAP government, Parliamentary Secretary and later in the end on the opposition bench, all with five years in the legislature/Assembly (2009-13), the rest are newcomers. The seven PDM winners can be considered to be all qualified, but all rookies in direct government political administration.
There is no doubt that it was an easy sell if that was even necessary. The anxiety people showed to see who the alternative was gave enough warning. The premier has not yet held a press conference but last week he granted an interview done with an American media house. He was fluent as it appears from an uncertified transcript. An article written by a NAN staff writer, quotes the Premier saying: “My success was orchestrated by God. He provided the right candidates, caucus and advisors, and moved the hearts of the people to place the PDM in the position of leadership we are in today. We had the distinct privilege of being guided by a team of advisors under the leadership of Dr Isaac Newton and Mr. Chelston Lee, two key strategists…they ran an innovative, high energy, media savvy using social and traditional media platforms to market our ideas and convinced the people that the PDM was the change Montserrat needed.” The question was – “As the newly elected Premier of Montserrat. Whom do you credit your election to?”
The interview rolled out questions such as: What are the challenges ahead and how do your propose overcoming them, especially as it relates to infrastructure -roads, port, airport, housing, etc.”; “What is your message to the Montserrat Diaspora globally;” “How do you describe your style of leadership? ”What are the Investment opportunities currently available in Montserrat?”
The Governor at his October press conference excused the Premier who we thought would have been with him, if even just to be different, and offering a simple first appearance. But we were introduced to the DFID replacement, and the new head of the Governor’s office.
There is an anxiety among many as to who besides the public servants are assisting the new government settling in and their approach to grappling with the huge task ahead, sorting out what has gone on before them and how to move forward. Which activities to put on hold, which activities to hasten, how to manage the budget and what is the state of affairs generally. There were questionable activities and decisions taken whether deliberately in preparation for a new government or in haste to cover.
