If Parliamentarians had expected to be viewing US President Donald Trump’s inauguration yesterday, they found themselves instead in the Parliament chamber, doing emergency work.
Eleventh hour extraordinary proceedings: to ensure Monday’s Tobago House of Assembly elections came off on schedule.
While not everybody was happy, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, knocking the Attorney-General, decided to favour PNM MP Colm Imbert “.... I believe everybody on (Government) side running on the brain of that Diego Martin North East MP.”
PNM officials yesterday projected full THA victory. But they admitted the latest of six internal polls showed a 10-seat win with two for Watson Duke’s party.
The election which should have been an easy win, is a hard fight they confirmed, due to divisions from PNM’s June 2016 party elections.
Indirect confirmation of the challenge arose last week when PNM invoked the spectre of possible UNC links with Duke’s party and Christlyn Moore’s. UNC unpopularity in Tobago in 2013 had helped PNM win overwhelmingly in that THA poll. Who’s unpopular in Tobago now will be revealed in Monday’s election.
Popularity will also be tested further afield with yesterday’s entry of new US President Donald Trump and exit of predecessor Barack Obama. The former, entering with very low approval ratings, the latter with a steady high amid a sharply divided US.
The number of events bidding farewell to Obama—some portraying the softer family man and candidly expressive Commander in Chief, admitting to flaws—was as much testimony to his rankings. And on the eve of his inauguration and yesterday, there were some signs from Trump of taking a more Presidential line as he sunk into the role.
T&T’s encounters with Trump were limited to his 1999 visit when, as Miss Universe franchise holder, he staged the show locally, visited Down the Islands and promised business investments (which didn’t materialise).
Obama was the star of the 2009 Americas Summit in Port-of-Spain where—as freshman leader—he faced fire from hostile Latin American heads (taking notes as they “threw words” at the US in their addresses.)
Ahead of yesterday’s US transition, both leaders, polar opposites in styling, had traded barbed actions to the end.
Trump’s camp underscored that removal of Obama’s health care system would be immediate priority—symbolic purging of the Democrats and their charismatic leader who created history in 2008.
Obama, in the last days of office, ordered US forces to bomb an Isis stronghold in Libya—push back against Trump’s accusations that Obama was weak on Isis.
Obama has harboured enough concerns about what the US faces to warn the public to resist violation of democracy (at his farewell address), mandate US media to watchdog same (to White House scribes) and remind Americans that “We the people” are the most powerful words in a democracy (via open letter).
Obama signalled retirement won’t prevent him speaking out on certain violations.
Trump’s inaugural speech yesterday in turn sought to energise his base, with a secondary pitch for unity and significant decrees: “Only America first... buy American and hire American....”
Trump warned against politicians of “all talk and no action”?and who told Americans things “can’t be done.”
The next 100 days will tell if high office will see his positions toeing the line of promises or not. UWI (International Relations) professor Anselm Francis said:
“If the new administration is lax on environmental concerns, that could mean more energy supplies entering the market, affecting energy prices for T&T. If immigration causes deportation increase, this could affect remittances from these people to T&T.”
“Some appointments—deemed billionaires—suggest he’ll be favourable to capital. But he’s reversed some campaign positions though he hasn’t reversed the question of US jobs being exported overseas. If he makes it difficult for capital to be exported overseas, that holds harmful effects. Whatever happens, we’ll have to engage them. The US isn’t far away. It’s the major hegemony.”?
Moreover, colourful and controversial, love him or leave him, Trump’s ascension against huge odds on the back of declaration for radical change has signalled this 45th tenure will be an era like no other.
His mostly male Cabinet of wealthy businessmen and politicos, lacks equal number of minorities, particularly Hispanics. And protests confirm there’ll be no honeymoon for Trump. As has Democrats scrutiny of Trump’s nominees whose appointments have been delayed.
The hope which Obama’s administration launched eight year ago is more urgent now.
Whether yesterday’s rain on Washington proceedings reflected the tears from some quarters over Obama’s goodbye, or were showers of good luck for Trump’s debut, remains to unfold.
So too, exactly how he’ll make “America Great Again,” whether that overcomes his biggest challenge—of peacefully unifying the US—and what the overall price tag may be. Domestically and internationally
