Vexed Bermoothes

My BFF Tigga exhorts:

“enjoy ur little spat – but come monday – its business as usual”.

First off, isn’t it telling that the only people speaking out in favour of Dr. Brown are either distant foriegners whose primary interest is the closure of Guantanamo.  They know or care nothing about Bermuda.  Either that, or they are people closely connected to the Premier.  A small crowd really.

Second, to be fair, Tigga has a point.  The PLP momentum has carried them a long way.  But the political capital has been squandered.  It will eventually run dry unless the PLP seeks hard reform.  They are no longer the new kids on the block – after 10 years in government, it’s time to start acting like one rather than a feisty political cell.

Third, if Dr. Brown survives this upheaval and there is no change to the political status quo, let me promise you that it will not be business as usual on Monday.  It will have been proven that there is no consequence to violating the Bermuda Constitution.  From a political risk perspective, that makes us an unstable country.

It is important for countries to have a reliable Rule of Law.  In other words, decisions are made by applying clear laws, without the intervention of discretion in their application.  Rule of Law is a safeguard against arbitrary governance.

But there are weaknesses in laws even, because laws are made by politicians.  And that’s why the Constitution is so important.  It must be passed by public referendum.  All politicians and laws must toe to the Constitution.

Ergo, a politician who flaunts the Constitution is effectively saying “I am beholden to no law”.  If a Government will not obey its constitution, why should any citizen or business?  That ain’t the Gold Standard™.  That is the Plantation.

Fourth, if the Government will not obey the law, why should anyone else?