EDITORIAL – No regrets; just lessons to be learnt

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, there is little that separates politicians – anywhere.They will either be arrogant or humble; in touch with the people or not; they will ignore the truth or crouch in confession.They will learn their lessons, or they simply won’t.Sometimes they change from one disposition to the other – often forced to by circumstance. We believe Patrick Manning, former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, is the humbler now for his People’s National Movement (PNM) routing at the polls last Monday. He is certainly publicly penitent.He wasn’t the slightest reluctant accepting personal responsibility for his party’s defeat, unimpressed though heckling PNM supporters were about his regret at Balisier House on Thursday evening.People aren’t just cynical about politicians. At times they are angry and sickened by them – a lesson we are sure Mr Manning has bitterly learnt.To her credit, Mr Manning’s successor Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bessessar has sought to restore some public dignity to the man who has wielded, some people say, excruciating political influence and power in the past three years.For his own good, Mr Manning will be now afforded security and official transport as a former prime minister by instruction of Mrs Persad-Bessessar. On top of that, Mr Manning has been given the courtesy of extended time and comfort in relinquishing residence at the prime minister’s mansion. Proper!We share Prime Minister Kamla’s view on how a former country’s leader should be treated. It wasn’t so long ago that Sir Lloyd Sandiford mooted the status former Prime Ministers of Barbados should be accorded. And we do not recall former Prime Minister Owen Arthur being of  different view.Sadly, statements of worth are raised for discussion and often go the way of dismissal over time. Prime Minister Kamla’s gesture of courtesy and respect towards Mr Manning ought to renew among the region’s political powers that be the passion for real political correctness and composure, and underscore their commitment to the preternaturally smooth transition of power, whenever that comes up.As we stated before, when it is all said and done, our political leaders will either be strengthened in humility or suffer overblown egos; be the people’s tormentors or their faithful servants.They will learn their lessons, or they just won’t.