Your Excellency Mr President, the ship is sinking fast. It is being tossed to and fro by ferocious waves, pounded by torrential rains. Lightning, together with frightening peals of thunder, crisscrosses the skies. Mr President, this is T&T as we rush headlong to destruction under a raving dictatorship. Our constitution is being torn apart. We will be brutalised by members of the armed forces if we protest. The ordinary man is not allowed to comment.
Only weak and ineffectual versions of the true state affairs are allowed airplay by the media. Corruption is the way of doing things. Bribery is the means by which corrupt things are done. Justice is one-sided, and not blind. There is inequality in everything—in housing, in education, in job opportunities, in the development of geographic areas, and even in bringing wrongdoers before the courts.
Mr President, it has been predestined that you are in your present capacity at this time. You have been chosen from birth to bring this sinking ship into calm waters, and safely to shore. Your presidency is the work of God, and not a gift from the Prime Minister.
You must not feel obligated to anyone to the extent where you determine wrong is right. You cannot adopt the position of Pontius Pilate who felt more obligated to Rome than justice. Mr President you cannot assent to the unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment Bill. Mr President we know that one of the powers that you have is not to assent to the ignominious bill. Do not allow yourself to get sidetracked by other issues surrounding the bill. The main and only issue is that the population was not consulted on the runoff polls. This is worth indefatigable repetition. We were not consulted! We do not want it! Mr President, 52 years ago, we the people stood proud and at attention when our national flag was raised and our national anthem sung. We were going into independence to be governed by a constitution which had national and political consensus. This is the prerequisite of any constitution. Mr President, you have it in your power to keep it that way. Sir, when that document is brought before you, you must pause for a very long while. Since no consultation was done, it is now up to you sir to pursue your own consultation. We the people await your call to consultations across the country.
Hilton Charles