By: Max Sterling

Within the last ten to twelve years Trinidad & Tobago was appearing to have general elections almost every year (just and exaggeration!). In fact, at one point in time the elections results tied 18 / 18 to the point where the then President had to make a decision based on his deliberate judgment which of the two parties should form the government. I also believed that in a one year span, they had two general elections until the Manning led People’s National Movement founded by Dr. Eric Williams 50 or so years earlier was able to win convincingly 20 seats to Panday’s UNC’s 16.

What is interesting is the fact that in spite of all this political upheaval, the economy of Trinidad & Tobago never slowed down, and Carnival never was interrupted. Like everything else, Trinidad in true soca/calypso style staged a political calypso competition at which heavy hitters supporting either political camp competed. Pardon me for not having my dates to share, but at that competition – Weston Rawlins – known in the calypso world as Cro Cro – stole the show with his rendition: “Panday – The Jail is Waiting!”

Permit me to share with you a representation of the lyrics as I was able to transcribe them from his song. Pardon some of the little areas which I may not have got correctly due to my transcription of his words during a live recording.

What is ironic is the fact that Cro Cro used the music of UNC’s supporter and successful candidate in one of those controversial elections – Gypsy, a popular and successful Calypsonian – “Captain, the Ship is Sinking” – sung in the tail end of the reign of the Eric Williams PNM regime, agreed to and supported at the time by most of Trinidad & Tobago’s electorate. Cro Cro starts off by saying:

“You Big T’ief! You Big T’ief!” Of course when you read the words you may find it easy to put this into a familiar context changing Panday’s name to “You-know-who” – because I am sure that the jail is waiting for Little Black and his cronies as similarly as it has been for Panday and his!

“Since Wednesday night, ah was feelin’ so happy, since they charge Panday ah feel like if ah win de lottery. Ah cud brag ans boast ‘cause – all ah all you know I am the prophet in kaiso. Just last year ah di’ tell all you, they wud ah lock up he backside for true – dese people t’ief all de money, dey vacuum the whole treasyry, so if all you against dis corrupt ting – join your voice le’ me hear you sing ……
Chorus: Panday! De jail is waiting! Panday! All you t’ief enough!
Corruption in UNC, somebody sing dat a’ready –
Your pardner Carlos next to go – so we abandon ship, we
Not staying on it. And very slow, Panday know – in de
jail you go ha’ to go!
You big t’ief!

If you little child come home from school sporting a diamond – you ought to ask the child, child whey you get dat from? And if you aint do dat, and wait until de Police come, then the police go carry the whole family down. You does lie too much Panday, me aint ‘fraid to say, since when you know dat Oma work some way! But you feel nigger stupidee – striptease dancers don’t work for dat kind ah money. My predictions does come to pass – ah know dey would ah lock up you mudder *** !

Chorus: Repeat with a few unclear changes!

When ah see Bas & Ramesh talking like friend, ah tell me children, the world coming to an end. Because is Bas who say Ramesh is “Imakaram”! The only ting dem two could discuss, is which one a dem going to jail first! Ah hear he went to Guyana, by dem buck to look for obeah. $300,000 in fish, he eating down to de last one – ah know dey wud a lock up he ****** ****!

Chorus: Repeated like the first!

So much poor people out here ketching their nennen. Panday went and buy tow new Mercedeze Ben’. Lying an’ saying how he didn’t know about it, putting de blame on he son-in-law Griffith. If Griffith do it and he hush he mout’, he must be doing other things he don’t know about, I told you to drive in style, it was only for a short while. Put oil and gas, polish an’ ting. Ah know he ha’ to give it to Patrick Manning!

Chorus: Same as First!”

I am sure you all see certain similarities except for First International Bank, Resteiner, Kozeni, Capella, Rowe, Regale, Barnabe, and the host of other crooks harboured by Little Black at the expense of the international reputation of your country and people!

I could just imagine how the politicians on the other side of Little Black feel encouraged by the precedence set in the Panday case in Trinidad & Tobago with him being sentenced by a Magistrate to two years hard labour and the solid monetary fines for a charge relating to the integrity in public office.

A certain part of Little Black’s anatomy must be puckering! I am sure he had instant belly works as if he eat plenty curry to break a fast! I warned all of you weekly that I can hear the jail door banging in Grenada and no effort to t’ief the next general elections will succeed! Notwithstanding all the many allegations of voter padding as aided and abetted by the cronies in the electoral apparatus, Little Black was only able to scrape by the polls with a mere six vote majority. We must recall just like our experience with the passage of Hurricane Ivan, Little Black could not even surface until three or so days later with his demonic face on national television to admit at being shaken up! We saw the evidence of his disappointment at the results to the point where revenge against members of the Royal Grenada Police Force began in earnest.

We saw how he made several changes in and around him within the public service to further insulate himself in power. We also saw how he has been making efforts to use the law against the very people he represents through the hiring of a legal henchman as Legal Advisor to Cabinet (Defacto Attorney General) – notwithstanding the refusal of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission’s disapproval of the recommendation of the said element for the position of Attorney General.

I am pleased to know that the current Parliamentary Opposition – ably led by Tillman Thomas, a man of impeccable integrity – have the will to do what needs to be done to restore order and confidence in authority in Grenada. The power of the Cosmic forces has granted them a test within their ranks to see how they would handle such matters! When the final outcome which is taking time is revealed, Little Black would resume his belly works until his last day in office!

A matter of fact, we have to include his close colleagues as accomplices in any attempt to address any issue of him and the lack of integrity in public office. A better way to put it – their misconduct / misbehaviour in public life during all the years from beginning to end!

The plan is already drawn and the Parmasas have already been identified for important plea bargainings!

Little Black, take note – the jail is waiting!