We are not sure where the Prime Minister is headed or what he hopes for, given that for him “one step is enough”. – MIDWEEK NATION Editorial of Wednesday, January 26.
THE LEADER WRITER was initiating what has since become a clamant call for Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to be a more active Head of Government than he was being perceived.
The reference to “steps” was Stuart’s response to queries as to whether the newly minted St John MP Mara Thompson, widow of the late Prime Minister David Thompson, would be included in the widely anticipated Cabinet reshuffle.
The Editorial acknowledged a recent Press interview in which Stuart offered some insights into his private life and his persona away from the glare of the public spotlight, but wondered when he would not only share his views on burning national issues, but more important, start taking some “administrative actions”.
“Could we look forward soon to quarterly Press conferences on the business of the state? What about post-Cabinet announcements of important decisions? What should we expect of Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister?
”Stuart’s predecessor instituted a quarterly Press conference at which he presented a synopsis of the issues of the day and fielded questions from members of the media.
When he was unable to perform his full duties, Stuart as his then deputy frequently acted as Prime Minister but was accused of not being proactive enough.
Stuart suggested that he was not the substantive leader which prompted the ailing Thompson, on one of his returns to the island after receiving medical treatment overseas, to publicly indicate to him that he had a free rein to make decisions.
Since August last year, Stuart had been the de facto Prime Minister, delivering the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) annual conference feature address when, among other things, he proclaimed that either he or Thompson would deliver the Budget later in the year.
Time has shown that Stuart did not deliver the Budget – it was presented by the newly appointed Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler. It was felt in some quarters that it would have been Sinckler’s first and perhaps last Budget presentation as Minister of Finance once Stuart became the de jure Prime Minister. This apparently would not be the case.
Indeed, Prime Minister Stuart is still holding the portfolio held by Thompson when he was ailing and obviously not fit enough to carry a full load. With a Cabinet that has not yet distinguished itself, many are wondering when and if the Prime Minister intends to increase his load of ministerial responsibility.
Such concerns among those people resonate in an environment of increasing decay demonstrated in the rising cost of living, growing unemployment and the widely acknowledged fiscal crisis.
In recent times, the media spotlighted the Prime Minister in a meeting with the private sector at which he took along Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy and Sinckler to field questions. More recently, Stuart was surprised by the amount of oil which the country imports and uncertain about the price of the same oil.
As head of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister is the Chief Minister and must be able to demonstrate a breath of knowledge befitting the post.
If there is strategic vision for the country, then the Prime Minister has to be able to articulate that vision within the context of his Government’s public policy. This can only be done if the Chief Minister has a handle on the portfolios of every minister, and especially if he has an awareness of the country’s finances.
It is in this context that late Prime Minister Thompson would have sought to hold a quarterly Press conference.
In his address to the Democratic Labour Party’s annual in August of last year, Stuart chided the ministers of Government for being too easily distracted.
“My sense is, though, that nowadays we tend to be too easily distracted. The role of the Opposition is to talk; the responsibility of Governments is to do. It is not the role of ministers of the Crown to react to every rash and ill-thought-out utterance of a desperate and directionless Opposition spokesman or woman. When you react, the actor is in control. When at a time you choose and when all of the facts are known and evaluated, you respond, you are in control.”
This comment provided an idea of the kind of politician that Stuart is suspected to be: one who is prepared to give very little to the Press; and this is consistent with his attitude when he held shadow portfolios in Opposition.
It is as if the less that is known, the less criticism can legitimately flow from the other side of the aisle. There is almost a desire to hold on to secrecy. While this is acceptable in private life, it is not the kind of leadership that has been practised by our previous leaders.
Alternatively, the strategy may be for the DLP to hold on to the memories of the late Prime Minister Thompson and in this sense the less public the current leader is on the substantive issues, the better for the party. This strategy would only make sense if the party were looking to call an election way before the legal end of its term and therefore it would be called within the first year of the death of Thompson.
The rise of the kingmaker is going to be a critical indicator of the party’s strategy for the next election. This raises several issues, foremost of which is the relationship between Stuart and the kingmaker. The latter publicly indicated that the late Thompson had a preference for the current Minister of Finance to become the leader of the party and the Prime Minister.
It is therefore going to take some mending for the kingmaker to return to the arena under Stuart’s stewardship but this is highly unlikely, given what happened in the recent by-election in St John.
The singular act of the kingmaker demonstrated to students of politics and especially those of the Machiavellian school that Stuart is not fully in charge of the troops. The other act or failure to act with respect to putting his imprint on the Cabinet is another indicator of his failure to lead. Enough time has therefore elapsed for the public, not just the student of politics, to begin to characterize the leadership style of the Prime Minister.
In every sense, the honeymoon is over.
Perhaps the public may have to wait until the Estimates Debate sometime in March in Parliament to hear a comprehensive assessment from the Government side, with some reassuring statements on the way the issues will be tackled in the coming year.
The signs of decay are becoming more evident day by day and, as is the practice, the country expects more urgency in dealing with the public business from its leadership.
It is not a private company, and therein lies the difference.
