And while Heredia may live both politically and literally, on an island in the sun, the kind of heat his other cabinet colleagues are feeling comes not from that golden orb in the sky, but from a heat source deep in the bowels of the political netherworld.
Indeed, between the Danny Mason Debacle and the exposure of all the lurid details of the Passport and Visa hustle, the Barrow Administration is in rough waters – add to that the blowback over the section 53 judgment, and those waters suddenly become perilous.
Sure enough, Prime Minister Dean Barrow is rolling in the deep – and there's no shoal in sight, no rock to run to for rescue. Certainly, it's not how he would have planned it back in the heady days of 2004 – when he was – as they say - campaigning in poetry. But 12 years later, even governing in prose has proved difficult – matter of fact, these days, it's more like governing in doggerel. To measure the trajectory between the ideal and the real, we juxtapose comments he made in 2004 when the Musa Administration was starting to unravel, and in 2013, when the Citizen Kim scandal first emerged:…
Hon. Dean Barrow, "The problem with this government is the fact of their undiluted corruption. Promises have been made by them that they have no intention of keeping; that they're incapable of keeping. But I tell you any UDP government that I lead will never be engaged in corruption. As soon as it rears its ugly head, I personally will cut it off. And I will tell you I will sharpen a special machete with blades on two sides so that every time it springs up 'right so' I will chop it off. And if it means the government has to fall then so be it. Let the consequences be damned, the people of this country deserve better and I am determined to give them better."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow "But if there is one thing that can and would bring down this government it is hustling in Immigration. I have heard that ministers are procuring visas for people. I've said pretty much in every second Cabinet if you are doing so (I have no proof) for God sakes stop it! Stop it! That is what would cause the government to fall."
"I have also said that I understand that politicians have friends and I know that processes can be slow. If a minister says 'I did ask the Immigration Department to bring some speed to the processing of an application for a visa for a friend.' It is entirely legitimate as minister.' I satisfied myself that the application for the visa was in order.' I can't say that that is not to happen, but if I hear you intervene 10 times and I hear you intervene 20 times - what I am to think? Except that you're involve in a hustle. If you hang out with Alibaba you must be one of the 40 thieves."
The heat on the PM is expected to increase on Friday when the audit report is tabled in the House.
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