The Hit is on the People.

It's well known in Trinidad and Tobago that Kamla Persad-Bissessar has an apparent bounty on her life. Like good politicians, both sides are rolling with it. Kamla says it won't deter her. Patrick Manning, present Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, says that law enforcement says the 'hit' is a hoax. And the beat goes on.

Whether a hoax or not, I think that $5 million TT dollars is a bit of an arbitrary figure. That's not even $1 million U.S. dollars. Indeed, if someone wanted to kill a political leader one would think that they'd be willing to spend a little bit more. Of course I don't support such hints and allegations that make more security necessary, but it seems odd to me.

People I've spoken with have varying opinions. The UNC hardcore supporters, of course, see this as an attack on the queen and like ants they swarm to protect her. The hardcore PNM supporters seem to agree that it's a hoax. In between, others think it could be a business cabal spending some money on modifying democratic selection or that the UNC started this to garner sympathy votes or that someone is serious about supporting anything but Kamla. What a tangled web of public opinion!

As usual, there simply aren't enough facts. And the reputation of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) precedes any work that they may or may not do. Generally speaking, people don't trust the TTPS very much to find things out.  It's the perfect storm. No matter what the TTPS says, people will believe what they want because the TTPS has been tarnished over the last 8 years with their lack of efficacy in everything from kidnappings to the casual 'bounceydent' on the roads. Unfortunately, that reputation also affects how the new 'increased security' is perceived by voters.

Of course, the floating price tag - real or imagined - has given everyone an excuse to tighten security. Generally speaking that's not a bad idea. The biggest issue so far, apparently, has been about a heavy metallic object thrown at a UNC meeting. If the assailant was after that $5 million dollars, they certainly demonstrated their inability to claim their prize. In fact, Maloney Alicia Hospedales (PNM) being doused in red paint demonstrates that all this violence is a larger issue that isn't only directed at the UNC.

At the end of the day, the people loose. While it may seem poetic that politicians pay the price for the divisions political parties in Trinidad and Tobago have cultivated over the years, it should serve as a motivating force for politicians to actually use their political platforms for discussing issues. But then teaching old dogs new tricks is a difficult task and whoever one supports, it is apparent that there are a lot of old dogs hiding in the kennels of their political parties.

The good news about this is the reinforcement of the need for independent observers for the General Elections - and that is necessary. The bad news is that this has become a campaign issue - something else to discuss other than the actual issues.