Monday, March 24 2008

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Oh kite boy!: Members of the Marabella Kite Club hold up a 16-foot tall mad bull kite before getting it up into the air at 90.5 FM radio's kite flying...

FORMER Pointe-a-Pierre MP and Congress of the People (COP) founding member Gillian Lucky yesterday agreed with President George Maxwell Richards’ view that this country could easily become “a failed state.”

Lucky explained this was why the country was crying out for “independent thinkers and decision-makers” to chart the way forward and she hoped to play a role in this crusade.

Lucky told Newsday there have been no overtures to her from members of either the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) or the Opposition UNC Alliance to join them since she resigned from the COP on Saturday. Reiterating that her departure was not because of any rumblings taking place within the COP and that she maintains good relations with party leader Winston Dookeran, Lucky said she remained ready to make a contribution to national development once “there are no political strings attached.”

She said the President was “on the ball” when he expressed concerns about the state of the country during his public inauguration ceremony at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on March 17, and this reinforced her view that the country could only move forward once people are prepared to “work outside of the political parameter.”

She expressed concern that the society has become one which has been “trained to use politics” to make any kind of decision and all parties which have governed this country must accept responsibility for this. “The country needs independent thinkers and decision makers,” Lucky stated.

Lucky identified the National Crime and Justice Commission (of which she is a member) as one of the ways she will continue to perform national service. She said since the commission met recently with stakeholders to discuss the implementation of DNA legislation and talks are ongoing about ways to improve other aspects of administration of justice in the country. Lucky, who has been outspoken on the issue of crime inside and outside of Parliament, said the commission is not a “talk shop” and the public will be hearing more about its work.