SVG needs total cleansing

Few people today could honestly state that they are satisfied with the way things are going in this country, even though they might disagree on the causes. We are now into Carnival and a large section of the populace is trying to enjoy the season as much as they can. Carnival is to some extent a welcome time to forget the many issues that confront us. The calypsonians use their talent to highlight and make statements about the state of our society. After all, we have long considered them the voice of the people. Then we will move from Carnival to the Emancipation holiday and then on to Independence, occasions that allow us to reflect on the journey we had been undertaking since 1838. On October 27, we will perhaps focus on the state of our post-colonial society, forty-four years after Independence. Those dates are however milestones but every day we face certain realities that we cannot continue to let slide by, for certainly if not confronted as a united, determined body they would fester and present even more obstacles to building a sustainable and welcoming society.

Last week our homicide count grew to 23 with the discovery of the body of a Dominica born CARDI worker in his car near to Prep School and the shooting of an individual at Rillan Hill. We highlight and follow the homicide count but what we pay little attention to is the series of stabbings and shootings that do not result in death. Then there are numerous sexual assaults with some of the victims being minors. Our Prime Minister has publicly declared that restaurants and supermarkets are among the businesses laundering money. One assumes then that the authorities are on top of this issue. There are other frightening things happening. PM Gonsalves informed of an agreement with Taiwan that would “put a hook in the grill” of anyone seeking to end diplomatic relations with that country. This is a serious matter and has not gotten the public attention that it should. The Prime Minister also stated that he wants the death penalty carried out despite the position taken by the Europeans. I am not aware that there has ever been a serious discussion on the matter of the death penalty. Now might be the time to have one. There are many persons who will welcome this as one of the options for lowering the murder rate. I am not sure that the evidence anywhere gives credence to this.

Our country continues to be divided along political lines so that it is increasingly difficult to get common action on tackling issues critical to the state and development of the country. We take pride in referring to our country as a democratic one but, this simply means that we are given the opportunity to vote for our parliamentarians every five years or even earlier depending on the dictates of those who control the government. The Westminster system we inherited from Britain has a governing party and an opposition party, which together in theory are part of government. The Civil Service or Public Service as we call it is the development pillar of government. Under the Westminster system the Public Service is supposed to be neutral serving any government that is in control. What we did since Emancipation was to throw out this baby with the bathwater.

One issue that has arisen recently that makes a mockery of the system and of our professed democracy is the announcement that Dr Grace Walters had been nominated by the ULP North Windward group to represent that party in the next General Elections. I welcome persons who put themselves out-front as candidates in any election but there is something that is fundamentally wrong with this both on moral grounds and on political correctness. It makes a mockery of the system. Dr Walters retains her position as hospital administrator. She obviously would have given consent to be nominated as a candidate. Even though she is not officially the candidate, she is the assumed one and obviously has the support of the party’s hierarchy. The correct thing was for her to step down from her post as hospital administrator. This sends a bad signal and will create an even higher level of distrust about services at the hospital. How could she continue in that position given the knowledge that she will be a candidate in the next election? This should not have been allowed and really makes a mockery of things and how they are supposed to be done. This country must be seriously cleansed!

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian