Editorial


The worldwide attention given to the diplomatic embarrassment in the Taiwan/Mainland China anthem issue is similar to the attraction that was received due to the 1983 bloody massacre at Fort Rupert and the U.S-led Rescue Mission/invasion that followed.

The playing of the Taiwanese Anthem instead of that from Beijing was brought to the attention of the entire world by the media including the Associated Press and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The embarrassment reverberated from St. Georges to Moscow, Washington to Beijing and Taipei, the African continent, South America and the Middle East and way under in Australia and New Zealand.

Any standoff between China and its renegade province known as Taiwan automatically attracts worldwide attention. The government did the right and honourable thing by ordering an immediate probe to find out what really went wrong on this big and historic day for the island when the Chinese were handing over the rebuilt national stadium.

And while no stone should be left untouched in getting at the bottom of the tragedy, the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) is not the only body that should be investigated.

GRENADA TODAY is also calling for the spotlight to fall also on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has a key and important role to play in the execution of such events. It cannot be left to chance to determine whether the Police Band has it right or is trying to find its way in the dark to ascertain which anthem belongs to China or Taiwan and whether both countries share the same national anthem.

In recent years, the Keith Mitchell government has been playing too many games with important national institutions and getting away with it.

There is no leadership or real guidance given to several important bodies especially heads of departments and ministries. This marked deteriorating in our public institutions is going unchecked.

The current lot of Permanent Secretaries are considered to be the worst ever in the history of this country. The feeling within the service is that a new government would have to replace if not all but certainly most of them in order to become effective and to get the job done as it is supposed to happen.

There is no one officially occupying the post of Chief of Protocol for months to ensure that everything which comes with the portfolio is put in place and ready for every and anything that have to be done. And the situation is not being helped by the kind of Public Service Commission (PSC) that is headed by retired high court judge, Justice Monica Joseph.

The PSC has been putting too many square pegs in round holes and probably at the insistence and whims and fancies of the political directorate.

Under Justice Monica, there are virtually two civil service bodies in place when the Grenada Constitution provides for only one. The New National Party (NNP) of Keith Mitchell has created a new civil service through the creation of the Vote 340 in each and every ministry in the service. And the number of political operatives and party hacks are growing under this special provision.

Yes, GRENADA TODAY welcomes the probe into the Chinese anthem debacle but is warning the official Opposition to stay clear from it.

Let Prime Minister Mitchell and his NNP outfit do what has to be done to make amends with the Chinese from the Mainland for yet another embarrassment.

Why is the NNP boss trying to use this opportunity to seek the necessary support of the opposition on the issue? What kind of support is he prepared to give in exchange in order to bring closure once and for all to his own $US500, 000.00 briefcase affair investigation with international con-man, Eric Resteiner.

This newspaper is also taking careful note of the decision that was taken to remove Police Inspector, Brian Hurst from the band while the investigation is pending.
Why the Prime Minister did not remove himself from office and give a free hand to Commissioner Richard Cheltenham who was appointed by Governor General, Sir Daniel Williams to investigate the briefcase issue.

How come Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Gregory was not removed from the position and an independent probe conducted into the Oil & Gas scandal with U.S investor, Jack Grynberg?

As this newspaper has stated before, there are two sets of laws operating in this country - one for the big fishes and the other for the small fries like Insp. Hurst who might have already been identified as the fall guy for the embarrassment to Mainland China. Whether or not this happens, as long as Keith Mitchell remains in office the late Prime Minister Herbert Blaize will always be remembered by Grenadians for his prophetic words: What goes around comes around.