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Shoman?s unique role

EditorialShoman?s unique role

Historically considered at least a socialist, if not an outright communist, it became clear once again that Assad has not changed his spots. So what is he doing in the Musa/Fonseca Cabinet? Whatever he is doing, it is a role unique in the Cabinet governments of Belize since the self-government constitution was introduced in British Honduras in 1961. No Prime Minister, Premier, or First Minister has ever brought an unelected citizen into Cabinet and allowed him to attack government policies publicly. In fact, Shoman is being allowed to do publicly what he cannot do privately in Cabinet. In Cabinet, because he is not an elected area representative, Assad cannot command the attention of the other Ministers.


Let us look briefly at the history of unelected Cabinet Ministers. Following his overwhelming 1969 general election victory, PUP Premier George Price introduced the concept of a Minister without Portfolio. This was the late Joseph Cuthbert Grey?s reward for betraying his NIP law firm partner, Dean Lindo, and joining the PUP in time to run against Philip Goldson in Albert in 1969. Grey lost, of course, both in 1969 and 1974, but sat in Cabinet during the PUP?s 1969-1974 and 1974-1979 terms. It may well be said that J.C. Grey kept his mouth shut for 10 years in a row.


After losing his Mesopotamia seat in 1979, C.L.B. Rogers remained Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs in the 1979 to 1984 PUP Cabinet, and he remained, as always, 100 percent loyal to Mr. Price and his policies.


Ralph Fonseca sat in the 1989 to 1993 PUP Cabinet as Minister of State in Mr. Price?s Finance Ministry. Having lost badly to Dean Barrow in Queen?s Square in 1984, Mr. Fonseca had declined to run in 1989, but he was appointed to Cabinet and immediately began taking over the administration of Belize?s public finances, with the apparent blessing of Prime Minister Price.


Between 1993 and 1998, Wilfred Elrington, who lost to Mr. Price in Pickstock in the 1998 general elections, served in Prime Minister Esquivel?s Cabinet for a period of time, but we are not in a position to say exactly when and where. That was how low-key Sedi?s time in Cabinet was.


In August of 2004, however, Assad enters. His role in the February 2005 negotiations with the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, was dramatic and spectacular. Replacing the unsuccessful trio of Works Minister Jose Coye, Education Minister Francis Fonseca, and Foreign Minister Godfrey Smith, Assad brought the negotiations to a swift end, in time to distract the dangerous national demonstration on Friday, February 4. The Shoman solution was only a temporary one, nevertheless, and now GOB?s problems with the trade unions are about to become worse than they were in February. But the fact of the matter is that Assad did what Said sent him to do on Tuesday, February 1 ? distract the demonstration.


We think the question now has to be: did Prime Minister Said send Minister Assad to do something last week? If he did, then the implications for Honourable Ralph, for the ruling PUP, and for the entire nation of Belize, are large.


On August 12, after all was said and done, the issue was Ralph. Through all the hell and high water, the issue has remained Ralph. And even though Ralph?s name was never called, the issue in Assad Shoman?s theatrical speech last week was, yes, Ralph.


Before you become all excited, remember that this is only a newspaper editorial ? just sound and fury, signifying nothing.


So, we proceed. Constitutionally, the Prime Minister holds immense power. It was only the Prime Minister who could have brought Assad Shoman into the Cabinet, because almost no one else in the PUP wants him there. Assad serves at the will of Said. Once we understand that, then we can begin to ask ourselves some questions. Unfortunately for us, only the Prime Minister has the answers to our questions, and, to be ungrammatical, he ain?t talking.


One thing we can say with certitude, however, is that a government which has Assad Shoman saying one thing and Ralph Fonseca doing something completely different, is a government which is confusing the people. Whether the Prime Minister actually wishes for us, the people, to be confused, that?s for you and me to figure out. Come to think of it, we can say another thing with some certitude: in this matter, Prime Minister Said is not himself confused. Once we conclude that, that the P.M. is not confused, then another conclusion immediately follows, and it is this: there is a game being played here, a game with high stakes.

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