WITH its president ostensibly on sick leave, but nevertheless turning up in court last Thursday as Pan Trinbago curiously filed action against its parent body, the National Carnival Commission (NCC), acting president, Richard Forteau, announced to reporters the organisation “will have our day in court”.
That day will come; what will be in its wake is as yet unclear.
The lawsuit emerges from the NCC's actions, late in the day in the view of some observers and interested parties, to examine Pan Trinbago's governance and its financial ma- nagement standards and practices.
What triggered the lawsuit, after weeks of public wrangling between the two organisations, was the NCC's decision to take over manage- ment of the gates, as Carnival events involving all three of the “interest groups” involved in the Carnival, Pan Trinbago being one of them.
On what ground was the action filed in the courts? Why is Pan Trinbago so aggrieved that it felt obliged to take this action? Whose money is being used to pursue this action, given the fact that Pan Trinbago is known to be funded largely by the Government, with the NCC being the agency through which those funds are dispersed?
And what exactly is to be gained in the process, given the fact that both organisations have to work together, whichever way this thing turns out?
These were among the list of questions put to the Pan Trinbago executive on Friday, in the wake of the lawsuit which was adjourned the previous day to a date to be determined.
Michael Joseph, Pan Trinbago public relations officer, said he was unable to respond to the questions, given his “workload at the present time”.
He was among the leading members of the organisation who spent most of that day locked in a closed-door series of meetings putting final arrangements in place for the staging of today's “Savannah Party”, the national Panorama semi-finals.
Joseph has taken public positions against the NCC and the line minister for Carnival, the Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.
He has accused the Government of seeking to provide “payback” opportunities to those interests presumed to have assisted in the financing of the ruling party's campaign for the last general election.
He has also accused former members of his organisation's executive of having participated, by their resignation, in a presumed scheme to heap scorn on the pan body.
One of those who left the organisation, in a bid to get answers to a number of questions concerning the running of its affairs, was its vice-president, retired Customs officer Byron Serrette.
He has produced a 15-page document which makes claims of impropriety, including the fact that the president would be making statements on his own, binding the organisation and its central executive to them when those statements were either not discussed or agreed beforehand.
There have been reports in the media, significantly in an investigative series aired on TV6, about allegations of questionable transactions with the importation of vehicles for the organisation's use.
In another case listed in his litany of complaints and questions, Serrette referred to an incident in which Keith Diaz, the president of Pan Trinbago, discussed with former minister Marlene McDonald a supposed Pan Trinbago proposal for the granting of liquor licences at all panyards across the country.
The minister's response was “dismissive and scathing”, Serrette claimed, making the more fundamental complaint that such a “proposal” was either not discussed or not agreed to at the Pan Trinbago central executive.
He has listed other irregular actions taken, and statements made, by the president, which he contended would have been incorrectly construed as Pan Trinbago positions.
His statement raised questions and concerns over such issues as Pan Trinbago's staging of Panorama-related events on the Savannah “Greens”; the International Conference and Panorama held in August 2015; the Pan in Schools programme, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education; the staging of the National Panorama competition itself, issues involving ticketing, the recording of the events and arrangements for proper use of this material; industrial relations; communications within the organisation, the conduct of meetings; financial and auditing functions.
Revolt inside and out
The document is dated Sunday, June 19, 2016, and Serrette attempted to table it for discussion at a retreat attended by members of the central executive.
He was prevented from doing so because he was not recognised by the chair.
In the wake of his resignation, another former member of the executive Cindy Rosemin also signed out, saying there were aspects of the organisation's leadership which required attention.
With the organisation facing a revolt, from the inside and from the ground, leading pannists in the country were part of a demonstration outside the Pan Trinbago headquarters towards the end of last year, calling for the resignation of the entire central executive.
If, therefore, pan people are up in arms against other pan people, how does that not tarnish the image of the organisation, was again among those questions I put to the executive on Friday, and which generated Joseph's response about his inability to respond, at least at this time.
But the organisation is not known to have bothered to address any of Serrette's questions and concerns.
“Over the last six years,” he stated in a preamble, “I have been an integral part of an executive which has made some progressive initiatives and decisions towards the betterment of the movement. However, if we are to continue along that path, we must take actions that would make our organisation more efficient, effective, mature and financially responsible and independent,” he charged.
“We are in difficult times and there are many challenges, seen and unseen, before us. We have neglected to upgrade many of our policies, protocols, procedures and operations, and they are in urgent need of attention. It is imperative that we recognise and identify all our deficiencies and take steps to correct them. As we lift our profile and seek interaction with other organisations, both local and international, we must strive for ‘best practices' in all that we do.”
Governance
Beginning with an examination of the Pan Trinbago governance system, the document refers to clauses in its constitution relating to the powers of the central executive. One of those clauses empowers the president to conduct such executive functions as are necessary where the central executive may not be in session. But it stipulates that such actions “shall be subject to the approval of a majority of the members of the central executive at their next meeting after the exercise of such powers.”
Answering his own question as to what this means, he said, “It means that the central executive is responsible for the governance of the organisation. It means that the president is allowed to act on any matter, but his action must be brought before the central executive at the very next meeting. It means that the president is allowed to make decisions that are congruent with the wishes of the central executive.
“It does not mean that the president can act on any matter and inform the central executive whenever he chooses. It does not mean that the president can make decisions and have the central executive rubber-stamp those decisions. It means that it is the responsibility of the central executive to establish protocols and procedures to facilitate the cohesive interaction between the president and all the members towards better governance of the organisation,” his memo argued.
Panyard liquor licence, radio talk
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170211/news/panorama-under-a-cloud
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