By Shirley Osborne
“We have re-established Britain as a leading international player, prepared to take tough decisions to deal with complex and pointed international difficulties – and where necessary, to back them up with action.
Britain’s mutual relationship with the Overseas Territories must be seen in this context: within the overall framework of modernisation and reform, and within Britain’s new international role.”
From the Partnership for Progress and Prosperity White Paper that every Montserratian should, by now, know about, know of, know well, not least since it also very clearly asserts that, regarding constitutional relations, future action will focus on, “measures promoting more open, transparent .and accountable government.”
My questions, naturally enough, me being me, (or should that properly be, I, being me?) … well, anyway, as I was saying …
My questions are not for the British Government, the “we” referenced in the above quotes. I have only questions for the government of my people, (or should that properly be the administrators of my people since “government” implies and presupposes power … the power to decide, to determine, to direct, which, clearly…..
And! Too! Besides! Power is not merely about muscle, literal or figurative. Power is not only having the force to “back them up with action.”
Real power, the kind that lasts, that travels and translates, resides in ability, competence, skill, talent, proficiency, not to mention integrity, which, clearly …..
Well, anyway. For me the primary issue is not the new Constitution. I am not interested in arguing that we don’t need one … quite the contrary. I feel quite strongly that we do, especially given the historical penchant of a certain class of administrators and governments to assert and arrogate unto themselves powers they think they should have, and then to use those powers to abuse the people over whom they think they are entitled to have this power.
No. The issue, for me, is how we get to The Constitution. How we walk that road as a people. And I say, “as a people” because it seems to me that so far, we have not been, through our administrators or because of our administrators, responding to this matter “as a people”. Some of the people got to have a say, indeed. Those in the three or four places that the team got to, were instructed to go to, or deemed it sufficient to go to, did get the chance to say that they were consulted.
The others? In all the other places? I ask again, now, as many of us did then, what were the criteria for deciding on these particular groups of Montserratians to the exclusion of all others of us? And, more to the point, will the others of us get a formal opportunity to consult on this matter? And, if not, why not?
And, over the next three months – and we must remember to not forget to thank the government, the “we” referenced above, for this most magnanimous and undeniably democratic gesture – over the next three months, as the “we” continues to move along in its new international role taking tough decisions and, where necessary, backing them up with action, what should Montserratians expect? (Has anybody forgotten that thing that the sun never set on the last time “we” was a leading international player?)
Ah! But times have changed. The world is different now. People don’t want those things anymore. Besides, we in Montserrat no longer plant limes, or distill rum, and Chances Peak is a volcano, so there’s no chance of that telecommunications conspiracy thing that some people talked about, and there’s to be no more money from that offshore banking thing. Of course, “we” has no interest in us, at all, except, only, “our good”.
So! But! “We” reserves the power to decide what is “our good”? Because that internal self-government thing, make your own decisions, maybe even find a way to earn your own living, is still “not on offer.” ‘Cause when you have no money, and no power to earn money, and administrators and servants with not one entrepreneurial outside-the-box backbone in their bodies, that’s what you get.
So, what role will Montserratians and our administrators play in ensuring the promotion of open, transparent, and accountable government, and freedom of self-determination, and the ensuring our of human rights, and progress and prosperity for us?
That’s my question.
‘
Questions about … New Relationship?
By Shirley Osborne
“We have re-established Britain as a leading international player, prepared to take tough decisions to deal with complex and pointed international difficulties – and where necessary, to back them up with action.
Britain’s mutual relationship with the Overseas Territories must be seen in this context: within the overall framework of modernisation and reform, and within Britain’s new international role.”
From the Partnership for Progress and Prosperity White Paper that every Montserratian should, by now, know about, know of, know well, not least since it also very clearly asserts that, regarding constitutional relations, future action will focus on, “measures promoting more open, transparent .and accountable government.”
My questions, naturally enough, me being me, (or should that properly be, I, being me?) … well, anyway, as I was saying …
My questions are not for the British Government, the “we” referenced in the above quotes. I have only questions for the government of my people, (or should that properly be the administrators of my people since “government” implies and presupposes power … the power to decide, to determine, to direct, which, clearly…..
And! Too! Besides! Power is not merely about muscle, literal or figurative. Power is not only having the force to “back them up with action.”
Real power, the kind that lasts, that travels and translates, resides in ability, competence, skill, talent, proficiency, not to mention integrity, which, clearly …..
Well, anyway. For me the primary issue is not the new Constitution. I am not interested in arguing that we don’t need one … quite the contrary. I feel quite strongly that we do, especially given the historical penchant of a certain class of administrators and governments to assert and arrogate unto themselves powers they think they should have, and then to use those powers to abuse the people over whom they think they are entitled to have this power.
No. The issue, for me, is how we get to The Constitution. How we walk that road as a people. And I say, “as a people” because it seems to me that so far, we have not been, through our administrators or because of our administrators, responding to this matter “as a people”. Some of the people got to have a say, indeed. Those in the three or four places that the team got to, were instructed to go to, or deemed it sufficient to go to, did get the chance to say that they were consulted.
The others? In all the other places? I ask again, now, as many of us did then, what were the criteria for deciding on these particular groups of Montserratians to the exclusion of all others of us? And, more to the point, will the others of us get a formal opportunity to consult on this matter? And, if not, why not?
And, over the next three months – and we must remember to not forget to thank the government, the “we” referenced above, for this most magnanimous and undeniably democratic gesture – over the next three months, as the “we” continues to move along in its new international role taking tough decisions and, where necessary, backing them up with action, what should Montserratians expect? (Has anybody forgotten that thing that the sun never set on the last time “we” was a leading international player?)
Ah! But times have changed. The world is different now. People don’t want those things anymore. Besides, we in Montserrat no longer plant limes, or distill rum, and Chances Peak is a volcano, so there’s no chance of that telecommunications conspiracy thing that some people talked about, and there’s to be no more money from that offshore banking thing. Of course, “we” has no interest in us, at all, except, only, “our good”.
So! But! “We” reserves the power to decide what is “our good”? Because that internal self-government thing, make your own decisions, maybe even find a way to earn your own living, is still “not on offer.” ‘Cause when you have no money, and no power to earn money, and administrators and servants with not one entrepreneurial outside-the-box backbone in their bodies, that’s what you get.
So, what role will Montserratians and our administrators play in ensuring the promotion of open, transparent, and accountable government, and freedom of self-determination, and the ensuring our of human rights, and progress and prosperity for us?
That’s my question.
‘
