I was off-island for almost two weeks on personal matters and therefore had some time to reflect on a number of issues affecting our democracy during this period of heightened political maneuvering. In my article two weeks ago entitled, Time to call it a day, I suggested that the next few months will NOT be a productive environment for good governance in Anguilla and, as a consequence, we should call for early elections. A number of persons have expressed their concurrence with these views and have gone a step further to indicate that the longer we remain in this campaign mode the more difficult it will be to recover economically.
In advancing this argument these concerned Anguillians are pointing to the growing divisions within the community and the use of personal attacks and character assassinations as a preferred strategy for gaining political advantage. In fact, as we speak, there are a number of legal matters in process as a result of libelous statements made by politicians in the public domain.
It is also most disappointing that one of the oldest politicians on the island, in terms of age and experience, is the most notable perpetrator of this kind of conduct. The result is that a number of young and aspiring politicians are following his lead. Can this conduct help us to elect a government that can make a positive difference in the lives of Anguillans? I think not!
In an AUF public meeting in North Side on Saturday July 5, 2014, as a part of my presentation, I played an audio recording of two apologies made by the Chief Minister in connection with statements he made. The first tape was a recent apology made to Mr. Curtis Richardson, his opponent in Road South in the last election. The second tape was an apology to former Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, and myself, that he made in 1999.
In addition to vindicating Mr. Curtis Richardson from the scandalous statements the Chief Minister made about him — my intention was also to show that, fifteen years later, Mr. Hughes still believes that he can get by in politics by destroying his opponents by vicious attacks on their character.
I was most surprised by the response of the audience because it appears that many of them were unaware of the existence of these apologies. In fact, while they knew that Curtis had brought a suit against Mr. Hughes, hardly anyone could recall the action brought against him by CM Fleming and myself. It therefore goes to show that Mr. Hughes has been very successful in making his lies stick even when he himself admits to having lied. On the other hand, his victims have a most difficult time in clearing their names against his character attacks.
Let me also point out that even in the text of his apology the Chief Minister does not take any blame for his actions. He claims that he made the statements because someone gave him wrong information. In other words, the whole thing is someone else’s fault. He totally overlooks the fact that the onus is on him to check his facts before he wantonly destroys his opponent’s character.
I have also been told that he is allegedly asking the Government to pay the 100,000 dollars in damages that he is required to pay to Curtis. In other words, he apparently does not feel that he is personally liable for the things he said in this matter, but rather that they should be dealt with in his capacity as Chief Minister. How ridiculous!
So in a situation where we are operating with a “lame-duck” government it becomes a very important issue when we realize our leaders do not believe that the rules pertain to them.
For example, let us listen to what his son, the Parliamentary Secretary (Haydn), said when questioned about his father’s apology. Haydn said: It takes a man to admit when he is wrong! In other words, Haydn is trying to find a way to make a positive out of what the majority of Anguillians believe is negative, and a stain on Mr. Hughes’ character. Obviously, Haydn has missed the point: The CM has NOT admitted that he is wrong! The CM has only admitted that he has lied. As far as he is concerned he is not wrong — the matter with Curtis is: Someone else’s fault! And apparently, someone else has to pay.
Another member of the AUM also found a way to spin my caption: Time to call it a day! His response is that I am power hungry. In other words because I am calling for fresh elections — I am “power hungry.” Yet another time here is an overzealous AUM supporter ignoring the important question that I raised, namely: Can we as a people be reasonably expected to endure a “lame duck” Government simply to fulfill the constitutional tenure of the present elected members in this period of serious challenge? Clearly the answer is No! And the truth is that, all we want is to find a way to alleviate the burdens of those who are HUNGRY. People are suffering — they need a Government in place that is in a position to implement solutions effectively. They cannot wait any longer!
And finally here is a moral question: Can a Leader say that he is “CLEAN” when he is a self-admitted LIAR?
