It would be hugely entertaining as theatre of the absurd except for the fact that, sadly, the current drama being played out between the Prime Minister and her Minister of Works involves real people, real public resources and a real country that is ours.

It is clear that the political relationship has gone sour between the Prime Minister and Minister Warner. No surprise there. Ever since he entered electoral politics, Mr Warner has been throwing his chips behind one leader or the other, invariably positioning himself as indispensable to anyone with a strong chance of emerging leader.

For a time that person was Basdeo Panday, until it became Winston Dookeran, followed by a brief flirtation with Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj until late 2009 when it became Mrs Persad-Bissessar.

In office Jack Warner has demonstrated his famous capacity for work and his gift for retaining the common touch in bringing power close to people. Not everyone is so blessed.

Nonetheless, the battle between powers on the throne and those behind it, is the oldest story in the world. Trinidad and Tobago does not need to be dragged through another political debacle while power brokers within the UNC, and between the UNC and its partners, negotiate power and settle their terms of association.

Loved as she may be by her fans, to the wider population the Prime Minister is in serious danger of being dismissed as a mere presiding convenience atop a brittle alliance of political interests.

The time is now for her to demonstrate the leadership capacity to take this country out of the crisis condition that led to her party's election to office almost two years ago.

Instead, the state of crisis has continued, exacerbated by one unforced error after another. Now, with the UNC internal elections on the horizon for March 24, the stage is being set yet again for another round of drama.

Already, the Prime Minister has committed the mistake of taking the Point Fortin Highway and the UWI, Debe, campus on her plate. In doing so, she has assumed the level of micro-management that we have come to expect from maximum leaders who believe themselves to be the sole source of power to make things happen.

The Prime Minister needs to rethink her strategy for dealing with her Works Minister. In doing so, she should be guided by the memory of the 2001 UNC elections that pit the party against the government and ended with the fiasco involving Team Unity which sent the party into early elections and, ultimately, opposition.

However she arrived at the top, Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the Prime Minister with the responsibility to lead the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Eventually, it will be the responsibility of the electorate to rule on the quality of her stewardship. Until then, we urge her to put the nation in front and political shenanigans behind.