Johnson, Trump, Fate in the Balance – Frank Ofili

So, the Supreme Court of the most civilized democracy in the world has ruled that its leader violated the constitution when he suspended the parliament of the most civilized democracy in the world?

In other words, the most civilized democracy in the world was temporarily ruled in a manner of a dictator from some African, Latin American or Asian country.

Wherever he found the legal or constitutional precedent to suspend the parliament, it must now be taken as given that all governmental actions carried out by Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the period the parliament was in limbo must now be considered as illegal.

It will be interesting to see how the members of the parliament relate to the Prime Minister when they resume sitting. Given what we all know of the UK however, it is safe to conclude that Boris Johnson is gone.

If that happens, as I suspect it would, Johnson will be the third UK Prime Minister to be consumed by Brexit in two years. A massive record, even Banana Republics would be envious of.

But what do I know? These so-called advanced democracies are funny sometimes. Whoever thought that an ultra-right-wing conservative Trump would emerge leader of the most liberal democracy in the world.

It will be interesting to see how Johnson survives the barrage of parliamentary condemnations that will greet his onslaught on UK democracy. Fingers crossed.

In all this, it is noteworthy the dispatch with which the UK Supreme Court decided on the matter in a matter of days. In our clime, it would have taken eternity, with both parties outdoing themselves to influence the court. But we are still learning. We shall get there some day.

Even more noteworthy is the fact that Johnson’s political cousin across the Atlantic, Donald Trump, is himself facing the prospect of impeachment for constitutional infractions. Again, an interesting development.

Whatever happens in both countries, students of political science would record it that a time was when leaders of the two most liberal democracies in the world – both with striking similarity in all spheres, even down to their hairdo – were put on the hot seat for illegalities committed against the very essence of their country. Karl Max must be chuckling in his grave.