Stress Levels Taking Toll

THE EDITOR:
AS the walls close in on our Prime Minister, so does his stress levels elevate and his patience contracts. These observations have manifested themselves as several reliable partners and allies have recently stepped on the wrong side of the law.

The first depressing news was the defeat of his political compatriot Denzil Douglas. The other disturbing news has to do with Mr. Leroy Paris, a long-time associate of this administration and a one-time CLICO guru whose assets have presently been frozen in Barbados pending ongoing investigations, not excluding an undisclosed financial deposit at the Royal Bank in Barbados, which is in the throes of being transferred to the Barbados Central Bank.

The most recent setback is the law suit filed against the Prime Minister and his Boundaries commissioners in respect to a flawed process and yet another legal application via the courts that the Prime Minister’s long time attorney Anthony Astaphan be barred from representing the Commissioners based on a conflict of interest. Strong evidence also reveals that someone may have overstepped his authority by requesting a speedy response from the Governor General to ratify the Boundaries Commission report. If correct, this does not augur well based on the recent outcome of a Privy Council verdict in St. Kitts.

The ongoing dispute at the NIC appears to be far deeper rooted than meets the eye and the PM may be required to get more involved to address the root of the problem. If these issues are not dealt with, the NIC could very well experience a bumpy ride in the weeks and months ahead. Further, the proposed 5% pay cut from the CSA workers must be officially taken off the table prior to any further negotiations.

– Thomas King