BREATHES there a man with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, this is my own, my native land? Is there no single moment when those who would lead will choose to put country before party? Is a country not worth more than political gamesmanship?

We ask these questions, not to fill this space with skilful words, but to shout caution to our compatriots that it is not political games that will fill our national coffers, and especially not one in the grip of a most stubborn recession.

More specifically, we summon attention to the continuing debacle of the Christopher Coke/Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair, which is now eclipsing everything that is of importance to the recovery of this economy and this nation.

No one can seriously challenge the fact that all the flak that the Government has been getting over this issue was of its own making and was truly deserved.

The lesson we sincerely hope the Government has learnt is that one cannot effectively rule without credibility and leading by example. Prime Minister Bruce Golding erred dreadfully when he chose not to come straight on the issue the minute it was raised in the Parliament in March by Dr Peter Phillips.

We have taken a strong position ourselves on the issue and we still hope that anything yet in the dark will come to light.

But now we are beginning to get a sinking feeling that much of the commentary on the Manatt issue is becoming personal, as if some of us have found a way to get back at the administration for grudges that were long festering.

Moreover, pressing matters of state such as economic growth, fighting off the recession, building back tourism, readying the education plant for the new academic year, improving health care delivery and the continuing efforts to keep criminals on the run, are seemingly no longer of importance.

In a sense, one can understand that the Opposition, with its eye always on elections, might have no interest in anything but those issues on which it can whip the Government. But we would warn against the scorched earth policy that would see the country crash to its knees, than see positive developments that might make the administration look good.

There is a country to run. There are investors local and foreign who are watching the economic indicators, in order to make decisions that could bring jobs, or migrate jobs.

There is, for instance, the US$400 million that the Government needs to find by next year to repay a bond acquired on the international capital market by the previous administration.

The all-important tourism industry is still in recovery mode, after the ‘Dudus’ fallout.

We have committed to an economic programme with the International Monetary Fund which is critical to our nation’s future.

We still have to hover like protective hens over the tentative gains in the agriculture sector that is beginning to put a dent in our food import bill.

In short, we dare not sacrifice the future of this country for a mess of political pottage. Somehow, we have to find the strength to put our country and people first.

To those who would foolishly make the case that we’re suggesting that the Coke/Manatt issue should not be discussed, perish the thought.

Our point is that if we’re not careful, we will find ourselves so bogged down in the charges and counter-charges that the extremely serious matters that we must deal with to improve our lives will suffer grave neglect.