What do you do when your political system is rotten to its core? That is the nature of Antigua and Barbuda, where accountability is a joke, or, sometimes a political tool whose purpose is to help one party damage another. Here, the rule of law is a foreign concept, fleeting, occurring from time to time here and there. In the intervals, misbehaviour and theft may occur, sometimes on scales unthinkable.
When you speak of such misbehaviour and theft, you'd better not call names. You'd better have done the police work yourself, laid the charges yourself, and prosecuted the case yourself. Otherwise, calling names could get you sued. And the people suing have a lot of money. They can afford the best lawyers. So hush darling. Cover your eyes. There is no corruption in Antigua and Barbuda. Move along. There's nothing to see here.
But what defense is it to say, "It's never been proven in court" or "I was never charged with anything" when the police and the justice system are pitifully weak on corruption? The integrity commission too, is a farce, and so is Parliament, and political parties do little at all except vomit up the same grimy candidates every election. The latest political farce is the half-hearted, meaningless, and secretive Labour Party "disciplinary" tribunal against disgraced Labour MP Asot Michael for misconduct alleged against him and which he denies. It has failed miserably. As usual, Michael simply boxed them up in court.
Asot Michael especially, typifies the crisis of accountability that has persisted in Antigua and Barbuda for over 30 years. His reputation has reached infamy after more than 20 years of repeated corruption allegations which he has consistently and vehemently denied while litigiously defending his name. Despite this, PM Gaston Browne twice put Michael, a huge Labour donor, back in government since 2014. Today, in yet another shameless farce, the PM claims to be taking a stand against Michael, denouncing him as "dishonest" and prone to "abusing public resources".
When virtually all government and political institutions have failed miserably at delivering accountability, what then? Our guests answer.
The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:
Akaash Maharaj, an Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption known also as GOPAC. GOPAC is an International nongovernmental organization made up of parliamentarians from across the world, working together to combat corruption, strengthen good government, and uphold the rule of law.
Dr. David Hinds, a political commentator from Guyana. He is Associate Professor of African and African American studies at the Arizona State University. His focus is on Caribbean and African Diaspora Studies. His research interests include governance and politics in the Caribbean, and Black political leadership.
Dwyer Astaphan, attorney and retired MP from St. Kitts and Nevis. He was also a cabinet minister holding portfolios such as Tourism, Culture, Environment, Telecommunications, Information, Labour, Justice, Commerce, Consumer Affairs, and National Security at various points over 13 years.
Jeanette A Calder, Executive Director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP). JAMP is a non-partisan, non-government and not-for-profit company dedicating itself to improved governance in Jamaica.This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 31st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.
