Editorial

The impending appointment of Joslyn "Fly" Sylvester to the post of Registration Officer for the South St. George constituency is a most vulgar act by the powers-that-be in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The newly installed Supervisor of Elections, Nadica Mc Intyre has confirmed that Sylvester's appointment to the post is already a fait accompli and that Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams is about to put the final stamp of approval on it.

Mr. Sylvester is identified as the person to replace Agnes Andrew, the wife of former Supervisor of Election, James Andrew who has been elevated to the post of Assistant Supervisor of Elections at the Woolwich Road Office in St. George's.

Let is be clearly understood by all and sundry that GRENADA TODAY is not launching any personal attack on Mr. Sylvester.

However, justice must be seen to be done and transparency and fair play must be the order of the day in appointing people to serve in the national as opposed to partisan political interest.

How can Sir Daniel appoint Mr. Sylvester to such a sensitive post when the very day of the appointment itself, the goodly gentleman is openly campaigning in St. George South for the ruling New National Party's Minister of Health and the Environment, Senator Ann David-Antoine.

Something is indeed smelling bad about this appointment. This newspaper serves notice to Sir Daniel that if he goes ahead with this particular appointment, he would have totally lost whatever little credibility he might still possess at this already late stage.

There are those in our midst who are now in position of authority who used to cry foul on electoral matters during the reign of the late Eric Matthew Gairy, former Prime Minister of this country.

These people know who they are and owe Sir Eric the biggest apology they can ever hope to muster for the wrongs committed against him.

With uncontrolled power in their hands, these people have turned around and are making a total and complete mockery of democracy.

Indeed, Sir Eric was no Saint but what passes as a government in St. George's today would make the angels continue to sing and praise the late Prime Minister as a leader of substance and character who cannot be compared with those now parading on the national stage.

Even former Governor-General, Sir Paul Scoon would not have stooped as low as Sir Daniel and appoint someone as Mr. Sylvester to such a sensitive post in an upcoming election which calls for transparency of the highest order.

Sir Paul was responsible for the appointment of several persons as Supervisor of Elections in the post 1979-83 era that marked Grenada's return to the fold of democratically elected government.

His first appointment Roy Chasteau, followed by Alphonsus Redhead and not one of them could have been accused of being partisan to any of the political parties of the day.

Sir Paul made sure that he looked for Grenadians who were above party politics in appointing them to sensitive positions in the country.

However, the same cannot be said of the current occupier of the Office of Governor-General who is apparently mistaking the greenery of the island and his home surroundings for the colours of the ruling party that he once served as Deputy Political Leader.

GRENADA TODAY calls on those with an interest in fair play and decency to consider all possible action including taking the matter of Joslyn "Fly"

Sylvester appointment to court in order to protect the integrity of the Electoral Process in this land of ours.

The signs are coming fast and furious from the NNP that it intends to use the resources of the State in a vulgar manner to try and hold onto power.

The unprecedented appointment of the new Supervisor of Elections to the Prison Review Commission Board can be seen as a perpetuation of that policy.

Isn't it another way of putting perks into the hands of the favoured few in our midst?

Our warning to Ms. Mc Intyre is that you are being set up for a fall that you might not be able to handle at the end of the day.

It is true that we all need money especially when loved ones are sick but money is the root of all-evil.

Just as the First Bank scandal is coming back to haunt the likes of Keith Mitchell, Michael Creft, Tony Joseph, Rupert Agostini and others in the hierarchy of the NNP, so too it would cause mayhem and discomfort for those who are prepared to turn a blind eye for monetary gains and in the process help to prop up the current regime from its faith with destiny.