opinion

Trinidad & Tobago's choice: stay with the old or follow the new?
by Clarence E. Pilgrim

One of the most influential and wealthiest nations in the Caribbean Community will be deciding on its future leadership in a November 5th poll.

With a population of more than 1.3 million people and an estimated voters list of around a million electors, the 1,980-square-mile Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will be making a decision about political continuity by choosing either the incumbent Peoples National Movement (PNM), the previous holders of government, the United National Congress (UNC, now in an alliance with other smaller groups), or the different political era that the new Congress of the People (COP) hopes to champion.

It is quite clear that a major percentage of the votes will be cast for or against the leading personalities involved in the race, to get a majority of the 41 parliamentary seats being contested. Prime Minister Patrick Manning, leader of the PNM, will be facing off against long-standing rival Basdeo Panday of the UNC, and Winston Dookeran, leader of COP.

The same fervor and intensity which marked the carnival celebrations earlier in February, has given rise to an election fever which appears to have infected many persons residing in Trinidad and Tobago and beyond. The current election campaign has been on center stage with claims, counter claims and "Freudian slips" flavoring the campaigning landscape. Accusations and threats of law suits have been some of the distractions that voters must sift through to get to the heart of the question of why one party is better than the next.

One critical problem which will hover over the parties' quest to provide governance, like a bottled hurricane waiting to strike, is finding the answer to the question of what to do about the frequency and intensity of criminal activity and corruption, which the public perceives as being alarming high.

There was a recent violent attack on the Congress of the People candidate for Laventille West. Allegations also exist of criminals demanding money from candidates to allow canvassing in certain areas. It is further reported that there are random acts of vandalism of campaign paraphernalia.

This ongoing crime and violence is not confined to the republic. It has in varying degrees stretched its poison across many Caribbean community territories, with a long list of victims, both dead and alive, in the aftermath. What is of great concern is the belief by some that criminal elements are trying to infiltrate and determine the election process. This must never be allowed to happen!

To effectively create a better society, parties within the country must begin by grappling with certain fundamental problems, like denouncing and removing policies and practices from the party's platform (whether it is written or by custom) for the use of race, ethnicity, religion, economic status etc., as a means to the end of securing votes through the use of hate and manipulation.

The political party that wishes to lead a multiracial society, which generally enjoys good relations amidst persons from all descents, must demonstrate that it is willing to work for the best interest of ALL Trinidadians and Tobagans. The ideals of the coalition of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) which in 1986 toppled the PNM after 30 years of power, were to my mind excellent. The then leadership attempted to build a team representative of all walks of life. However, the coalition ended when a subset of the NAR broke away to form their own party, the UNC.

What is presently and absolutely clear, is that any political party that have the ambition to win the elections must successfully address the following 10 concerns to the satisfaction of the people,. They are (not in any particular order and not exclusively):

1. Which party will handle the secession threat of a growing number of persons in Tobago, in a manner which satisfactorily addresses issues affecting the development of the island?

2. Which party will address the ongoing acts of crime and violence in an effective and timely manner?

3. Which party will address the issues surrounding constitutional reform?

4. Which party shows the strongest commitment towards the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its associated agreements?

5. Which party is best able to reconcile and heal any instances of a racial divide between indo-Trinidadians and Afro-Trinidadians?

6. Which party leader instills confidence by personal leadership style and charisma?

7. Which party appears to be able to tackle corruption among public officials?

8. Which party has an answer for the victims of homelessness, drugs and other social ills?

9. Which party can put a plan in place for an appropriate energy production strategy, taking into account the present initiatives surrounding climate change issues and economic concerns?

10. Which party's manifesto actually makes sense and provides a "blueprint" for the nation's future development?

When voting day is done, it is the party that offers prospects for a brighter future for ALL of the country's citizens, and is able to guarantee continued good economic performance, and fair distribution of the country's wealth, will be the party that President George Maxwell Richards will be swearing in on the 6th of November 2007.