Commentary: A wannabe gangsta... perhaps, but Premier Misick is no genocidal Mugabe! Published on Friday, July 20, 2007 By Anthony L Hall For years I have lamented the fact that my compatriots in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) have been too busy tearing each other down (over petty political matters) to build up a sustainable economy and stand united in our petition for independence from Great Britain. Indeed, it is a testament to the petty, quarrelsome and, ultimately, self-defeating nature of TCI politics that supporters of the People's Democratic Movement (PDM - opposition party), who presumed my blind allegiance to their party _base_d on family ties, actually called me a traitor for publicly congratulating our Premier, the leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP - ruling party), Dr Michael Misick. And they did so simply because I congratulated him not only last year when he successfully concluded constitutional reforms (which, admittedly, were negotiated with the British almost entirely by PDM leaders), but also earlier this year when he won a landslide re- election victory. Given this context therefore I was not at all surprised by the alleged fight that broke out between Premier Misick and PDM officials last week. But, true to form, the incident has only incited their respective supporters to wax indignant and hurl invectives at each other; even though only gossip informs their sound and fury. Instead of taking sides, however, I implore my fellow TCIslanders to take a moment to reflect on a few simple questions that, no doubt, will put this embarrassing fracas into proper perspective and help illuminate the grave consequences it portends for our nation; namely: Is it not commendable that the PDM convened a news conference last week Thursday to challenge the PNP's education and economic policies - at which people questioned why our Premier seems to spend more time attending Hollywood events than attending to affairs of state? After all, it is the duty of the PDM