Concerned Montserrat Voter
Thursday, August 28, 2014
On the Monday, August 25th, 2014 interview with Mr Reuben T. Meade; Mr Robinson asked the Premier to indicate how his resignation from the John Osborne Government in 1991 was different to Mr Hogan’s resignation from the Meade Government now.
In response to Mr Robinson’s question, Mr Meade proceeded to make some clear and emphatic assertions to point out the supposed differences.
Here is the text of the exchange
Jeevan Robinson:
“In 1991 you ran for elected office in this country, you were the Director of Development under the John Osborne administration; now what is different, I have to ask you this, what is different to what you did, leaving late honourable Osborne and what Mr Hogan has done in terms of leaving your office and running for elected office? What is the difference? ”
Reuben Meade:
“I want you to fact check. I said to Mr Osborne at the end of my contract, or close to the end of my contract, I will not renew my contract. Election was not in the air; elections was not around the corner. My contract finished in June, and I terminated my services with the Government of Montserrat in June.”
Jeevan Robinson:
“With the full intention to run for office?”
Reuben Meade:
“NO! No intention whatsoever to get involved in politics. None whatsoever. And you can fact check that.”
“… So when you looking at the difference; I did not quit on the eve of an election. I quit a year before any election was to be held.”
A quick fact check as the audience was invited to do, reveals that Mr Meade is guilty of gross misrepresentation of the facts or has a serious memory problem.
Anyone listening to Mr Meade’s confident and emphatic response and his categorical denial of entertaining political ambitions at the point of his resignation in 1991, may well have been convinced that he was being completely truthful and engaged in full disclosure.
However, the facts as uncovered are that Mr Reuben Meade wrote a letter dated 22nd of July 1991, to the Governor copied to Mr Osborne and others, indicating that he would not be renewing his contract. This was roughly three months before the election which was held on the 8th of October 1991. The elections may have been slightly premature, but the writing was clearly on the wall; and by his own admission Mr Meade assisted Mr Benjamin Chalmers with orchestrating the early demise of the Osborne administration.
The first paragraph of Meade's resignation letter as published in the Montserrat News in early August 1991 states as follows:
“It is with regret that I must inform you of my decision not to renew my contract with the Government of Montserrat. I have become extremely dissatisfied with the quality of leadership in our Government and the lack of a viable opposition to take over the reins of Government. As a consequence, I have decided to take up the challenge and offer myself as a candidate in the next elections.”
So right away it is clear that in his very resignation letter Meade declared his political ambitions. He stated that he was not happy with the current or potential leadership and he was therefore offering himself as a candidate. Election was very much in the air in July 1991, everyone knew that the government was on the verge of collapse and Mr Meade had every intention to get involved. Indeed newspaper articles from that period reveal that Reuben Meade was, according to John Osborne, actively undermining the leadership of the Government.
Why then would the Premier make the vehement denials as transcribed above?
It is hard to believe that one would have forgotten such a momentous point in one’s life especially when one speaks of it with such certainty. If the Premier had portrayed genuine lack of recollection about the time and circumstances of his resignation from the Osborne government it would have been fine. After all he is 60 years old, and it was 23 years ago.
But on the contrary, the Premier was keen to give dates and speak with a level of certainty that would erase any doubt as to his veracity.
How could Mr Meade not remember that he only quit his job 3 months before the election, while at the same time recalling details of the formation of the NPP?
It is Mr Meade’s desire to win on every point and at all cost, which has led him to continually misrepresent facts and fabricate figures and conversations.
The Premier, could not resist an opportunity to attempt to besmirch Hogan’s character, so he went overboard as is usual habit.
Mr Robinson kept asking the question; "why is it that people keep saying negative things about Reuben Meade?
Well, there you have it Mr Robinson, like him or loathe him; the reality is that you simply cannot take Mr Meade at his word. Everything he says, must be taken with a big tablespoon of salt; especially when he is very forceful about it.
All the facts and figures that Mr Meade speaks of with force and certainty in this election campaign have to be closely examined for truth and validity.
