The day I was Prime Minister
Last night I had a funny dream that sent shivers through my body. I dreamt I was Prime Minister! When I got up I couldnât be sure that I wasnât the Prime Minister dreaming then that I was just an ordinary bloke. I soon got back to reality but was deeply disturbed by the dream.{{more}}
I had gone to bed shortly after my party was declared winner. It was a long sleep. When I got up at about 8 a.m. my wife informed me that the phone had been ringing constantly. Some people left their phone numbers, some messages and some promised to call back. One person warned that I should not trust Mr Fabian the cabinet secretary, because he was more party hack than public servant. In fact that same person asked my wife if she didnât think that he would make a good cabinet secretary, despite the fact that she didnât know him from Adam. There were pledges of loyalty and just greetings from a number of people, some of whom I was pretty sure didnât vote for me. I took all of this in stride since my focus was on taking the oath of office arranged for 10 a.m.
The swearing in of my ministers was to be at 3 p.m. since our victory rally was scheduled for 4:30. I returned home, having decided to relax before our big rally. As I looked at the side of my bed I saw a copy of our manifesto and then the seriousness of the situation dawned on me. I became alarmed. How can I begin to put into operation what was in that manifesto? Some felt that it was normally there for cosmetic purposes because no one read it. But then there is always that smart guy willing to show how bright he is by quoting from it. That hurdle I was prepared to cross when I got to it.
As I got to the park for the rally it dawned on me that I was not the same person I was yesterday. People were bowing down to me, calling me Comrade. Someone even attempted to kiss my shoe. Friends who I used to lime with were beginning to treat me like a god. Someone suggested that I begin to use an outrider and siren. It was expected of me. Was all of this for real? However, the rally went off well.
Next day it was to the office, my first official day. I was early, not having to face the terrible traffic that I used to face earlier since I had an outrider. Oh the joys of office! There were already people waiting on me, all of them smiling in anticipation. I had asked my ministers to meet me at mid-morning for a brief session, not an official cabinet meeting! We began to lay out a plan of action for our first week. It struck me that they were all agreeing with everything I said. It was like getting many echoes. The only new idea came from one minister who suggested that I start by outlining a grand vision. I asked him to explain. His grand vision was to mention our intention to build a bridge to Bequia. I was somewhat stunned. He said that there would be so much discussion about this that it would give us time to sort ourselves out. There are those who would say, you see, the man just there and already he beginning to put big things in place. Others would disagree and the debate would continue for some time. He suggested too that I plan an early trip to some country outside the region, signaling to the people that I was serious about their business and was down to work immediately. Isnât this what Prime Ministers were supposed to do? Furthermore, he said, we are a small country so you have to look and think big and become a big player out there. I reminded him about the story of the elephants. When they fight the grass gets trampled, but when they make love the grass also gets trampled. He said PM, remember we donât have elephants here!
A larger meeting was held later with all permanent secretaries, ministers and senior government officials to get an idea of where the country was. This was important for I planned to address the nation next day on radio and television. After a very disheartening two hour session it was time to leave. The people waiting on me had already left since my office staff had indicated to them that as it was my first day in office I had important things to deal with. They appeared to understand, although I gathered that one person began to âcussâ saying that she was one of those who put me in office and already she was having difficulty seeing me.
A brief walk on Bay Street before going home cemented the fact that I was now a different being. Everyone wanted to talk to me. I was told by some I met that I needed to tap on to the peoplesâ sensitivity to religion. One even suggested that I read the bible from cover to cover and be prepared to quote from it as often as possible. That will impress a lot of people. No better way to start, he said. At home I began preparing my grand speech with all of the experiences from the first day in office on my mind. I sat down to write my speech and began immediately searching for a quotation from the bible. I found one: Paulâs epistle to the Romans, Chapter 13:1-7. Then I woke up and wondered!
Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian.
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