The upcoming Elections

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS expected before the end of 2025 will be like none ever held in this country before. Everything is thrown into the ring, the good, bad and the ugly. The country is on high tension. The

choice is between a party/ government that has been in power for twenty five consecutive years and is looking for endorsement for another term. Opposing them is a party that previously held government for seventeen years. It is difficult making comparison across the years because circumstances were different, as were personnel. What is before us is an assessment of the past 25 years, the triumphs and the failures.

Above all did they build a nation, focussing on the development of the people?

On the forefront is a leader that has ruled supreme over those years. There was less emphasis on the team and greater focus on the leader. The question is how long he can continue holding tightly the reins of power. Who will be his natural successor? One of the major problems here is that the present leader has, to a great extent, hogged it all and never allowed the nation to fully get a glimpse of his would-be successor.

What do we think of the team that is with him seeking a continuation of the party’s mandate?

In opposition is the NDP, none of whom had held office before. But this is no big thing since our present PM, although he had been in parliament in the shortened term before, had only been on the opposition bench. This group sells itself as a team, while in the case of the ULP everything centres around its leader and there is little emphasis on a team. In the case of those in opposition seeking government, what is the track record of those seeking to be elected? What also are their skill sets? Are they such as are demanded by the new times as the country prepares to face challenges emerging from different circumstances?

How does its leader appear to us? Is he people oriented and committed to changes to meet the new times?

One of the first things the ULP did when it assumed office was to have dismantled the leadership of VINLEC, something for which they never paid a heavy price. They refused to continue the stop lights around town and also the Ottley Hall Ship Yard. I know a gentleman who brought his ship here annually for servicing and who was in high praise of the service it was able to offer. General elections in a democratic society are about passing along the banner, for very few democratic countries have done what we have done in SVG, that is, allowing one party to control the reins of power for such a long time.

In fact, it almost seems to go against what democracies stand for, that is, allowing frequent changes in government. One of the weaknesses or problems of having a government or individuals or groups holding on to positions of power for such a long time is that they begin to develop a sense of ownership and actually act that way.

One of the critical points about individuals holding on to power is to know when best to leave. We have seen this with sports persons determining when best to leave. With individuals it might not affect others considerably but with a government it’s a horse of a different colour. A leader’s physical and mental abilities will be strained after holding on to a position of power for such a long time, with the individual believing that everything depends on him, when he/ she believes that their party or organisation desperately needs them. This is where succession planning is important.

One of the significant developments in recent times are the voices highlighting their concerns. I use one example and refer to cries from nurses on the ‘front lines of maternal care’. The issue was about the roof of the Maternity Ward crumbling. One online news reported that a section of the roof continued to deteriorate with debris falling in their working area. This, according to one source, was reported before but little was done. This was the issue addressed by the Nurses Association in support of workers in the Maternity Ward. In the same way that changes among parties governing a country are vital for democratic life, workers and their association highlighting their working conditions are critical.

What do voters look for when making decisions about voting? What does the spectacle of a mad rush to hurry up things when elections are on the home stretch convey to them?

Is it one of concern or of trying desperately to fulfil promises long made? Do we still get excited about big projects or are we concerned about small but more meaningful projects like fixing the roof that is crumbling at the hospital, that is like ‘providing gouti tracks’!

There is a lot to chew on before we vote, but will we? We better had! because these elections are going to decide on who carries the country forward, either with new ideas or a rehashing of what existed before?

•  Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian